New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming who arrived on Tuesday after attending the ICC captain's meeting in London, along with three other members of his team who 'sat out' the 3-day tour opener which ended at the Sara Stadium on Wednesday - Matt Horne, Mark Pries, Shayne O'Connor, are expected to play here, to get themselves accustomed to the local conditions.
Sri Lanka are making use of the New Zealand tour to blood youngsters. Their theme is 'Experiment for the future' and the selectors are taking bold steps towards achieving that aim, even at the risk of losing a Test match. If they can beat New Zealand, while in the process of experimenting, it would prove to be a tremendous psychological advantage, but the bottom line is that new blood is essential to keep our cricket going at some level in the future.
So much importance is being laid on youth that Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga is expected to witness the game here during the three days.
With Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa nursing injuries, and Ravindra Pushpakumara and Sajeeva de Silva left out of the pool for poor performances in South Africa, the focus in Kandy will be on the two young fast bowlers who have returned after training at India's MRF Pace Foundation - Indika Gallage and Suresh Perera.
The selectors have already seen Mario Villavarayen and Ruchira Perera in the first 3-day game at the Sara Stadium and they are hopeful that one of the four will be good enough to share the new ball with Pramodya Wickremasinghe, who has suddenly become the main strike bowler. He went to South Africa as the third seamer, and with Vaas, Pushpakumara and De Silva out of the firing line, he is the only one around the selectors can hope to pick.
Villavarayen, for all the attention he received in the press, was disappointing at the Sara Stadium, while Ruchira Perera, showed that with proper guidance, he has the potential to develop into a fine left-arm swing bowler. The problem with Perera is that he is not consistent with his line and length and tends to ease the pressure off the batsmen.
The most impressive of the Board President XI bowlers was left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilake, who took seven wickets in the match. Playing for the same club (Tamil Union) as Sri Lanka's spin ace Muthiah Muralitharan, he should prove an ideal foil because they have an understanding with each other bowling in tandem for so many seasons.
Another position which the selectors will be keeping a clear eye on is the number three slot. By asking Mahela Jayawardene to bat there in the game at the Sara Stadium and then including him for today's game, they have shown some inclination towards making a change in the position which is presently occupied by Roshan Mahanama.
The selectors are of the view that New Zealand have a weakness against leg-spin and they have brought in young Malinga Bandara to test them out. Bandara is still in school and may not have the maturity to test players of international experience. But it will be a good exposure for him.
If one has to be critical of the selection, it is that Chandika Hathurusuingha, who won the 'Best Player of the Tournament' award in the country's premier domestic competition - the Sara trophy, has hardly got a 'look-in'.
Two young 'uns who are missing out on an opportunty to press for higher recognition are batsmen Russel Arnold and Avishka Gunawardana. Arnold is recovering from a hand injury and Gunawardana from illness both suffered in Mercantile games.