Bangladesh elect to field in tournament opener

Mohali, Oct 7 (UNI) Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar won the toss and opted to bowl against Sri Lanka in the first qualifying match for the ICC Champions Trophy here today.

''There is plenty of grass on the pitch and I thought it would be a good idea to bowl first in such conditions,'' Bashar said after winning the toss.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardane, meanwhile, said he was looking forward to bat first on the pitch and therefore was not disappointed at losing the toss.

''Actually, I was planning to bat first anyway. So, its a good toss to lose. We are looking forward to put up a good score,'' Jayawardane said.

The two teams -- along with defending champions West Indies and Zimbabwe -- will be vying for the two qualifiers' berths in the main event of the Champions Trophy.

Bashar said though though the Lankans are hard to beat but his team was confident of pulling off an upset.

''We are confident about our chances. I don't think its impossible to beat them. After all its only a game of cricket,'' he said.

Jayawardane was also optimistic about Sri Lanka's win.

''We are keen to win and its all about sharing the responsibility,'' he said.

Teams: Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Tilakratne Dilshan, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Bangladesh (from): Habibul Bashar (capt), Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Sakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Khaled Mashud (wk), Mohammad Rafique, Rajin Saleh, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel.

Umpires: Daryl Harper and Steve Bucknor, third umpire Simon Taufel, fourth umpire Billy Bowden.

Match Referee: Mike Procter UNI HSB PM RN1406