Sri Lanka, beaten in three ICC limited overs finals since
triumphing in the 1996 World Cup and 2002 Champions Trophy they hosted,
hope being back on home soil will help them avoid the chokers tag in the
World Twenty20 starting on Tuesday.
Mahela
Jayawardene's side play the opening match of the tournament against
Zimbabwe in Hambantota aiming to go one better than in the 2009 edition
and the last two 50-over World Cups.
"The
people will back us and I've told the boys to try and enjoy the
occasion. It's great to have a World Cup playing in your home
territory," Jayawardene told reporters.
"If we enjoy the atmosphere we'll express ourselves much better out there."
The hosts are among a raft of teams who could easily win the tournament, which concludes on October7 in Colombo.
Holders
England beat Australia by nine runs in a warmup on Monday while South
Africa defeated New Zealand by the same score and Pakistan hammered
India by five wickets.
Sri Lanka's buildup has been mixed, beating West Indies but losing to India.
"A lot of people have asked us why we have choked in the finals (in recent years)," added Jayawardene.
"I'd
rather be in that situation than get knocked out in the first or second
round. It means we are doing something pretty good in big tournaments
and we are handling pressure pretty well and getting to those situations
where we can win tournaments."
The captain dispelled any fears about an uneven wicket for the Group C opener against minnows Zimbabwe.
"The wicket looks really good and fresh and I am pretty confident it...should have enough runs on it," he said.
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