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Atapattu's ambition

Reuters, Colombo
Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu believes his side are capable of becoming the best one-day international team in time for the 2007 WbrldCup.
The skipper wants his players to continue their development on the
tour to New Zealand which starts on December 17. The visit includes a five-match scries of onc-dayers followed by two Tests.
Sri Lanka have a 71 per cent win ratio under Atapattu, having triumphed in 25 of the 35 matches played since he took over after the 2003World Cup.
That run of success has lifted them into second place in the International Cricket Council's
official GDI Championship behind Australia. New Zealand are tliird.
"We want to be the number one team in the world," Atapattu told reporters before the squad flew out onThursday.
"But we'll have to work really hard towardsthat objective.
"We cannot do that overnight but we can during a set period and the aim istobetherebythe2007WoridCup."
Atapattu
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Atapattu predicted a tough series, especially after New Zealand's 1-1 draw with Australia in the recent Chappell-Hadlee "frophy.
"They are a tough team in their own conditions and, although they don't have a lot of stars, they have been playing very competitively as a group," he said.
"They have the advantage of playing at home but this is also the best time for us to make a mark and prove ourselves in New Zeal and.
"Only (seam bowler) Chaminda Vaas out of the senior players has played much cricket there, so this will be a new experience for us.
"Fortunately, we have four days of training before our first practice match and then two practice games before the one-day series.
This gives us plenty of time to adjust to the climatic conditions and the pitches. We'll try and figure out withinthefirstweekwhatourstrate-gies are going to be."
The squad were blessed by Buddhist monks at Sri Lanka Cricket's headquarters in Colombo before theirfiight.
They left without spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, still recovering after shoulder surgery in August
"I am pretty confident that he will be available for the Test series," said Atapattu.
"He says he is getting better day by day and bowled four overs at normalspeed onTUesday.
"The cricket board is arranging for him to participate in a practice game (on December 27) and when he is ready he can hopefully join us inNew Zealand."
The squad also left without coach John Dyson, who has missed the last 10 days of training to attend to personal issues in Australia. Dyson will join up with the team later in the week.
The five-match ODI series starts in Auckland on December 26.