Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene has set his sights on reclaiming the trophy and wants to use the match to strengthen the combinations.

”We believe we have the team that can go the whole distance, we have several exciting combinations,” he said.

The International Cricket Council’s decision to expand the World Cup to 16 teams and allow more minor nations to play has drawn considerable flak from critics.

Cricket is the national pastime in Bermuda – a tiny British territory in the north Atlantic that reputedly has the world’s highest per-capita income – one of six associate-member nations to qualify for the World Cup.

The inclusion of the Associates is welcomed by Jayawardene, who thinks it provides incentive for international competition.

Sri Lanka’s early appearances in the World Cup during the 70s were before it gained Test status.

Sri Lanka joined the group of elite cricket-playing countries in 1982 and took 14 years to win the World Cup.

”Playing against the top teams is the only way for these nations to improve,” Jayawardene said. ”Like SriLanka, 20 years on and one of these minor cricket nations might win a World Cup.”

Bermuda has only one professional cricketer, Glamorgan captain David Hemp, and not a lot of international experience.

It is not expected to go beyond the first round in a group that also contains India and Bangladesh, although captain Irving Romaine said his players merely are seeking ”to earn respect.”

Bermuda coach Gus Logie, a former West Indies international, said just qualifying for the World Cup was a major achievement for his team.

”This is the ultimate challenge for teams like Bermuda, taking on the top sides of the world,” Logie said. ”We’ve been talking about how to approach the big moment, to me its about sending out positive vibes to the players and making them realize that they’re playing against human beings and not Gods.”

Line-ups:

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Marvan Atapattu, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Malinga Bandara.

Bermuda: Irving Romaine (captain), Dean Minors, Delyone Borden, Lionel Cann, David Hemp, Kevin Hurdle, Malachi Jones, Stefan Kelly, Dwayne Leverock, Saleem Mukuddem, Stephen Outerbridge, Oliver Pitcher, Clay Smith, Janeiro Tucker and Kwame Tucker.

Umpires: Daryl Harper, Australia, and Ian Howell, South Africa.

TV umpire: Aleem Dar, Pakistan. Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.