GROS ISLET, St. Lucia, 20 June 2003 — Opposing skippers Brian Lara and Hashan Tillakaratne should have vivid memories of the last Test series between Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Lara stroked 688 runs at an average of 114.67 in late 2000 in Sri Lanka to set the second-highest aggregate ever in a three-Test series. His total also amounted to 42.34 percent of West Indies’ total runs, a record for the proportion of runs scored by an individual in a three-match series.

Lara’s efforts were for nothing though as West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash with two of the Tests being decided by 10 wicket margins.

In comparison Tillakarante was the forgotten man. Then 34, he had just been recalled by the selectors after being ditched as too old after the 1999 World Cup. The former wicketkeeper responded to his recall by accumulating 403 runs in the series while being dismissed only once.

“I was upset, but the selectors reasoned that they wanted to groom youngsters,” the left-hander said of the decision to drop him. “I just didn’t want to quit then. Firstly because I was still scoring runs and secondly because I still had the desire.”

While both Lara and Tillakaratne are vastly experienced players, they are relatively new in their respective captaincy roles.

Lara has just been restored to the captaincy and is in charge of a team of youngsters, who, despite being outplayed by the all-conquering Australians in April, managed to avoid a first Caribbean whitewash when they scored a world record fourth innings total of 418 to win the fourth Test in Antigua.

The 34-year-old said the victory had given his side the belief they would more than match Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka are not as strong as Australia,” Lara said earlier this month. “Although they have a couple of match winners...if we don’t drop our standards we are going to get more success against teams of lesser ability than Australia. “We’ve proved that we can be competitive, but we have to maintain it. Now we know where we stand.”

Tillakaratne, meanwhile, was appointed after former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya resigned following the country’s World Cup semifinal exit in March.

He inherited a strong side with proven batting talent in Marvan Atapattu, Jayasuriya and Mahela Jaywardene, backed up by all rounder Thilan Samaraweera, who has averaged 83 in his 10 Tests so far.

He also has match winners in off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 24 wickets at 22.33 in Sri Lanka in 2000, and left arm pacer Chaminda Vaas, who outdid his colleague with 26 wickets at 15.42.

While the Caribbean normally produces hard, fast pitches, Muralitharan is relishing facing Lara.

Shoaib Akhtar Recalled

by Pakistan: 2nd ODI

In London, Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will return to international action for today’s second One-Day International against England at The Oval.

“The Rawalpindi Express” missed Pakistan’s two-wicket victory in the opening match of the three-game series at Old Trafford on Tuesday, where he completed a two-match ban for ball tampering.

But Pakistan captain Rashid Latif told AFP yesterday that the 27-year-old speedster would be back in action at The Oval — where victory would give the tourists an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. “Shoaib Akhtar is playing in place of Umar Gul,” Latif said.

However, the wicketkeeper batsman stressed a Pakistan team without several star names were not pinning their hopes of victory solely on Shoaib’s slim shoulders.