Some experts are tipping us to surprise a few at the World Cup and maybe even win it. I think we have a good chance but I still believe the Sri Lanka team of 1996 was better.

When we won the World Cup in 1996, batting-wise the team was more experienced, had flair, everything was there in that team in ’96.

It’s difficult for people to say we are better now because I played in both eras and the batting was much stronger then. This team now has a better bowling attack than what we had that time but we had a better balance in the ’96 World Cup because there were four spinners in the side and only two fast bowlers.

The rules have changed now with the 20 over power plays coming so the spinners go out of the game, you can’t play two or three spinners any more. We have only one spinner at the moment so fast bowlers have more chance (of success) because they bowl in the power play.

There are a few interesting comparisons to draw and the first one I would mention is Sanath Jayasuriya, (who was the Player of the Tournament in 1996) who is now older and more experienced.

He’s a different type of player now because then he didn’t have any pressure or any fear to perform because he was told by the captain (Arjuna Ranatunga) to ‘just put the ball out of the park, it doesn’t matter if you get out for one or naught because we have experienced batsmen to come in’.

So whenever he failed others came in and performed. Sanath was then an unknown person and bowlers didn’t know what to do. Now, people know how strong he is, how good he is, where his weaknesses are. They will work it out. So it was a different kind of Sanath in those days. He has experience now but it’s not easy for him to do the same things but he will get very good scores if he gets a start.

The wicketkeeper-batsman is an area where our team has improved. Everyone talks bout Kalu (Romesh Kaluwitharana) but at the time Kalu didn’t score much because he batted for five overs, scored 30 runs and got out. They posted runs quickly because Sanath scored 60 off 30 balls and before we knew it we had 80 or 90 runs.

That was the reason why they thought Kalu was in good form but Kalu’s batting average was not as good as it might have been. Our keeper-batsman now, Kumar Sangakkara, is one of the world-class players. You can’t compare Kalu and Kumar in batting at all, though they’re both good keepers.

And I cannot compare others without mentioning my own game. I am more experienced now but I was still experienced then, just that the pressure (of expectation) was less. I was 22-years-old at the time when the captain would say ‘do this’ but now it’s up to me to work things out myself and the pressure is on me more.

But we are not a one-man-team. To win a World Cup the batters have to do well and then the bowlers chip in. That’s the way you win the World Cup. I enjoy playing under pressure, though, because I am used to it. If there is no pressure you are not going to do well.

By the way, I was pleased to hear our coach Tom Moody turned down the Australia job because he’s a great coach. He has played in the era that we are playing so that’s the advantage that he has. His techniques and everything are very good, we don’t complain, so if he stays around it’s good for us.