The home country are due to take on minnows Canada before a sell-out capacity crowd of 35,000 in a stadium named after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who hopes the facility will go a long way in changing the face of his hometown and help its dream of beating rivals the Gold Coast to win its bid to host the Commonwealth Games.

"Hambantota was hit by the tsunami in 2004," said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.

"So, with the World Cup coming, the people have a chance to celebrate and World Cup matches are a historic moment for them."

Ranatunga, younger brother of 1996 World Cup winning team captain Arjuna, said the stadium will be crucial for the future development of Hambantota, where 3,000 people died in the tsunami.

"The Hambantota stadium is not only about World Cup matches, it will be one of the top facilities for the youth of Hambantota and the adjoining towns and I am sure it will produce a number of talented players in future," he said.

The ground development project is part of a makeover of the province which involves a new international airport, seaport and Sri Lanka's first expressway from Hambantota to Colombo -  a distance of around 220 kilometres - by the end of 2012.

The construction of the new venue was hit by delays caused by the weather and it has been a race against time that required the help of Chinese workers to complete.

The hallmark of the new ground is a pearl-shaped grandstand roof.

Among the many admirers of the stadium is Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, who knows that it is an opportunity for Hambantota to shine and promote its Commonwealth Games bid.

"We whole-heartedly support the state-of-the-art stadium in Hambantota," he said.

"As a nation we have done wonders.

"The Commonwealth Games in 2018 will be a yet another milestone and I support that bid from Sri Lanka."

With huge "Let the celebrations begin" and "Welcome to Hambantota" banners already in place, the town is abuzz with the World Cup, with hundreds of fans filling the small number of hotels in the town.

The stadium will also host Pakistan-Kenya match on Wednesday (Februay 23).