Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga is improving from a back strain and is fit to face Pakistan in the World Cup but whether he will play or be rested for later matches is a different matter.
The 1996 world champions left out strike bowler Malinga for their opening World Cup Group A match against unfancied Canada on Sunday, citing a sore back. "He is 100 per cent fit to be selected," Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said in Colombo.
"There are not any injury worries. Lasith is improving but we don't want to rush him."
When asked, team manager Anura Tennekoon said a decision was yet to be taken.
"The management and the selectors have to decide whether to play Lasith in the earlier games," Tennekoon told Reuters.
Malinga was one of the leading performers in the last World Cup, taking four wickets in four balls in a match against South Africa. Sri Lanka lost in the final to Australia.
Sangakkara said his team wants to win their first match against Pakistan in a World Cup after six defeats spread between 1975, 1983, 1987 and 1992.
"It's time to change history," he said. "We are looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully if we can do our basics better than the Pakistan team can we have a great chance.
"I think Pakistan is a great side, very balanced. They've got match-winning cricketers, not just one but quite a lot of them.
"So, any opposition is wary of them and we are not going to take anything lightly or for granted. We are going to go out there and do the best that we can do and hope that is enough."
