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Sangakkara believes Australia can be beaten in Super Series
Sunday, 15 May 2005 - 8:09 AM SL Time
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Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, one of the players named in the 30-man pool to take on Australia in the ICC Super Series, believes that the World Champions could be beaten in the cricket festival scheduled for October in Australia.
`There are certain teams who have put the Australians under pressure in recent times. But on all those occasions, they got out of jail due to a dropped catch or a missed chance or something like that. When you corner the Australians you need to make sure you give them the knock-out punch too,` Sangakkara said.
`You certainly need to be at top of your game and when your team is under pressure, the Aussies look for ways and means to increase that and you must ensure to break the shackles,` he added.
The 27-year old is tipped to earn the slot of the wicketkeeper in the World XI ahead of South Africa's Mark Boucher and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.
Sangakkara was excited with the idea that world's best players will be in action, but wondered how they will respond.
`When you put a team like that with exceptional talent that's great. But then most of these guys wouldn't have played with each other until that occasion. Sometimes they go through a crash course and are ready for the challenge within a couple of days, but as they are not representing their respective counties, I wonder whether everyone will be able to give his 100 per cent,` Sangakkara said.
He also conceded that it's a great idea on the part of the organisers to think of a competition of this nature.
`The rankings are there and that provides every team the incentive to do well and take on the World XI at the end of the calendar. It's a great opportunity for the spectators, too. They will be now seeing the players who were in the opposing camp coming together in the same team,` he added.
`This also gives players to get to know each other well. The camaderie and comradeship help players to get to know the others better and avoid misunderstandings as when they were on rival sides.`
While Sangakkara has an excellent record against the Australians in ODI cricket having scored over 50 runs per innings compared to his overall average of 33:37, he averages below 30 in Test Matches compared to his overall average of 48:13.
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