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Galle: Sri Lanka will look to improve their dismal Test record over the past year when they take on a self-destructing Pakistan side in a three-match series from Friday.
The Sri Lankans have won just two of their last 14 Tests and lost six, but remain a force on home soil where they drew a two-match series against top-ranked England in March and April.
Mahela Jayawardene's men have already handed Pakistan a warning by wrapping up the one-day series 3-1 after both teams shared the two Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan, who defeated Sri Lanka in all three formats in the United Arab Emirates last year, were let down by poor fielding and batting in the one-dayers.
But a worse blow hit them on Tuesday when skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was banned from playing in the first Test by the International Cricket Council for a slow over-rate in Monday's final one-dayer in Colombo.
Misbah was penalised for his team falling three overs short, which ICC match referee Chris Broad said was a "serious over-rate offence" in one day internationals.
Instead Mohammad Hafeez will lead the tourists in Galle as Pakistan bid to bounce back and continue their remarkable run in Test cricket despite being forced to play abroad due to security concerns at home.
Pakistan have won seven of their last nine Tests, including a brilliant 3-0 whitewash of Andrew Strauss' England in the UAE earlier this year.
They have banked on a potent bowling attack led by prolific off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was the world's leading Test wicket-taker last year with 50 scalps in eight matches.
This year, Ajmal has already grabbed 24 wickets in three Tests against England, and will remain the main threat facing Sri Lanka.
Pakistan endured a nightmarish outing in their last Test series in Sri Lanka in 2009 when they lost 2-0.
If Pakistan were to win this series 3-0, they would surpass arch-rivals India to take fourth spot in the Test rankings. A 2-0 score line would see them draw level with India on 111 rating points.
Misbah hoped the team's past Test performances will help them put the one-day defeats behind them.
Sixth-placed Sri Lanka will also take note of the Test ranking, as a 3-0 or 2-0 series win will see them leapfrog Pakistan to number five.
The second Test will be played in Colombo from June 30 and the third in Pallekele from July 8.
Teams from
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chanaka Welegedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis.
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Ayub Dogar, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Afaq Raheem, Mohammad Ayub, Aizaz Cheema.
Match facts
June 22-26, 2012
Start time 10:00 local (04:30 GMT, 09:30 Pak)
