BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

SRI LANKA have sent their reserve team to the Caribbean so that the players can become acclimatised to the conditions ahead of Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies.

Team captain Thilan Samaraweera said that all the players in the Sri Lanka A team, which arrived in the Caribbean on Tuesday, are candidates for their country's World Cup squad.

Sri Lanka are drawn in Pool B of the CWC 2007, along with India, Bangladesh, and Bermuda, and will be based in Trinidad where the matches will be played at the Queen's Park Oval.

"This is a bit of a warm-up for the CWC 2007, which will be played here in the West Indies next year," Samaraweera told reporters during the team's stop-over at the Grantley Adams International Airport on their way to Trinidad.

"This is a great opportunity to put pressure on the top tier of cricketers and push for places. Our batting is our strength, but we also have two very good leg-spinners, and some good fast bowlers as well." Sri Lanka A have two four-day 'Tests' against West Indies A in Trinidad and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The first two limited-overs matches will also be in St. Kitts and the other three will take place in St. Lucia.

Host of test players

Experienced left-hander Russel Arnold leads a host of Test players in the side including leg-spinners Malinga Bandara and Kaushal Lokuarachchi, all-rounder Gayan Wijekoon, pace bowlers Ruchira Perera and Nuwan Kulasekera, and opening batsman Avishka Gunawardene.

Samaraweera and his deputy Jehan Mubarak have also made Test appearances with distinction, and other players on the threshold of international selection are batsmen Mahela Udawatte, Malintha Warnapura, Jeevan Mendis, wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva, and fast bowler Ishara Amarasinghe. "We have some players in the team who are on the verge of the international team," said Samaraweera, who has made 39 Test appearances.

"We know we all have a good chance of making the (international) side so we know why we are here.

"The public is really looking forward to see what comes out from this tour. Cricket is very big in Sri Lanka, and people will want to see how we get on, on this trip. There is a great eye on this tour.

"There is a special lookout for players, but mainly Malinga Bandara because he got two hundreds in India in the recent Duleep Trophy."

Squad: Thilan Samaraweera (captain), Jehan Mubarak (vice-captain), Kaushal Silva, Malintha Warnapura, Mahela Udawatte, Jeevan Mendis, Russell Arnold, Malinga Bandara, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sajeewa Weerakoon, Gayan Wijekoon, Ruchira Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ishara Amarasinghe, Avishka Gunawardene.