Nairobi, Oct 7: The last of the league encounters, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will undoubtedly be the match of the tournament. A more evenly matched encounter it is difficult to imagine.

Both teams have trained and prepared well for the tournament. While Sri Lanka have a facile win against West Indies under the belt in the tournament, Pakistan have just come out of a training camp in which they have improved fitness levels and physical standards.

In Wasim Akram, they have a crafty old swing and seam bowler, who can make the ball talk at a still lively pace. With Waqar Younis, Azhar Mahmood, Abdur Razzaq and Saqlain Mushtaq in the supporting cast, Pakistan have the most formidable attack in the competition.

In Inzamam-ul-Haq, they have a dangerous batsman who can change the complexion of a match and in Yousuf Youhana, one who can guide it through good times and bad. A Saeed Anwar on song can win matches off his own bat and Ijaz Ahmed is another doughty old warrior. Coach Javed Miandad is someone who has seen it all and the captain Moin Khan a class act by himself, capable of turning any game upside down.

Sri Lanka have firmly established themselves as the most consistent one-day side in recent times, despite the loss of veterans Aravinda De Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga. Mahela Jayawardena and D A Gunawardena have filled the void admirably. The advent of the talented Sangakkara has only spurred Kaluwitharana on to greater effort and the return of off spinner Dharmasena with a corrected action has increased the options at skipper Jayasuriya’s command. Nuwan Zoysa and Wickramasingha fight for a spot in the side as Vaas’ partner while Upul Chandana has strengthened Muralitharan’s hand considerably while operating in tandem with him.

The batting of Marvan Atapattu and Russell Arnold, not to mention the skipper himself, have almost made up for the absence of the celebrated seniors lost to superannuation and injury. Sri Lanka, in short, is a side no team can take lightly.