Champions Trophy 2017: 5 reasons for Sri Lanka to be optimistic

#4 Graham Ford's experience of conditions

Ford knows all about the Kia Oval having coached Surrey before becoming Lanka's head coach

Graham Ford was the coach of Surrey before he joined the Sri Lankan coaching staff and is pretty familiar with the conditions in England and particularly those at the Oval, where Lanka play two of their three league matches against South Africa and India. Ford looked pretty pleased about the wicket when he spoke to ESPNCricinfo in the build up to the Trophy.

"From what I've seen, it's been a particularly dry start to the summer, and the scores have been really high. That should suit us. If you look at the scores of the domestic one-day competition on now in England, the scores have been really high. Hopefully, those are the kinds of pitches that we can perform well on", Ford had said as revealed by ESPNCricinfo.

An experience of the conditions might be a crucial factor, especially when they play a team like South Africa, who are a tad susceptible in big tournaments. Ford's familiarity with the ground and its intrinsic details will undoubtedly help Lanka in their league games.