Sri Lanka are ready to add to the Proteas’ World Cup pain but coach Chandika Hathurusingha is aware that playing already eliminated sides presents a unique challenge, writes DANIEL GALLAN in London.

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The hope of a place in the semi-finals endures in sunny Chester-le-Street, not for South Africa, of course, but for Sri Lanka who have three games remaining.

Win all of them, including fixtures against West Indies and India, and they could well find themselves amongst the final four. 

The Islanders coach Chandika Hathurusingha knows what is on the line and is not taking anything for granted. Despite his troops facing a dejected South African outfit, he stressed that they’ll be taking nothing for granted.

‘When you have no pressure of qualifying, they can come and play fearless cricket and that can get them going,’ Hathurusingha said of the wounded Proteas. ‘At the same time they can turn up and just want to go home, so you never know.’

South Africa have history on their side.

In an ODI series earlier this year, the Proteas swept to a 5-0 series whitewash. But that result was secured in very different conditions against a very different Sri Lankan team.

‘The thing for me, I’m looking at some of the players that are playing tomorrow who were not there in South Africa,’ Hathurusingha said.

‘Like Angelo [Matthews], Diimuth [Karunaratne] as well and they are in form.’

Hathurusingha was confident that his team could claim a famous victory which would heap more misery on the Proteas.

‘Obviously we thing we have a good chance because we are coming off two wins and a very good win against England,’ he said.

‘I think we have enough talent and skill-set to compete with them tomorrow.’