Sri Lanka look for change of fortune

	Mahela Jayawardene wants more consistency from his team in the Asia Cup © AFP

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, is hoping his team rediscovers the winning touch in the Asia Cup after three poor series since the 2007 World Cup. Since making the final of that tournament in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka have suffered one-day defeats against England at home, in Australia in the CB Series and in the West Indies.

"We are working really hard and we have to start putting things right, there's no doubt about it," said Jayawardene. "The guys want to do well and the opportunity is there. The Asia Cup is a big tournament. It's in our hands and our responsibility to get the job done."

Over the last 13 months, Sri Lanka have only won eight out of 22 ODIs, and three of those wins were against Bangladesh at home. "We haven't been consistent with our all-round performances," Jayawardene admitted prior to his team's departure to Pakistan. "Either we make mistakes in our batting or bowling or in the field. If you are to compete and beat sides consistently you need to get it right more often. That's an area we have spoken about, set game plans and try to execute them. If you are to do well overall you have to be consistent.

"When you are not winning matches obviously you do lose confidence. That's when we tried a few different combinations and tried to bring in a few different personnel. When you do that it also unsettles the side. We just need to have a lot of belief and trust in the guys we've got, make sure we give them full confidence so that they believe in themselves to go and do the job."

Sri Lanka have also suffered recently through injuries to their bowlers - Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, and Farveez Maharoof all missed the tour of the West Indies, and Malinga and Maharoof have been ruled out of the Asia Cup as well. Jayawardene insisted, though, that their absence had nothing to do with Sri Lanka's 2-0 defeat in the ODI series.

"We had the right personnel. People may get injured or get dropped but whoever is there need to get the job done. There are no excuses for that," said Jayawardene. "We had a great opportunity to win the first ODI which we lost, the second we didn't bat well at all. We didn't settle ourselves into the conditions and take responsibility. The third one we batted well for 260 and probably were in a good position to win, but that's how it goes." The bowling attack will be bolstered, though, by the return of Fernando and Muttiah Muralitharan, who missed the ODI series in the West Indies.

Looking ahead to the Asia Cup, Jayawardene said that while India and Pakistan were obviously the two biggest threats, it would be dangerous to write off Bangladesh. "We need to make sure we respect them for who they are and play a proper game."

He also said the games against India and Pakistan would be a good test of Sri Lanka's abilities. "We've got the same strength in all departments. We can definitely pit ourselves against them and see where we stand right now as a team. It's a good challenge for us."

The format of the tournament also makes it imperative for teams to get into their stride straightaway, said Jayawardene. "In a short tournament of two weeks the momentum is very important. We have to make sure we have that momentum going because things can happen so quickly. Matches are going to come thick and fast and we need to be prepared for it."