Colombo, February 26 – Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has apologized to his countrymen for another disappointing performance in the World Cup, after failing to "bring smiles" to their faces by losing to New Zealand by 61 runs in the Super Eights.
Sri Lanka lost to both New Zealand (61 runs) and England (51 runs), effectively ending their hopes in the T20 World Cup.
“We feel very sorry about this. We were also hoping to win against England. But if we had played better, we could have. This match was very one-sided. I don't have anything to say to the fans, we haven't given them a win to celebrate,” Shanaka said at the post-match press conference.
“So, we have one match remaining, and I hope to finish the tournament well as captain.”
He also mentioned that the pitches in Sri Lanka were not as expected.
“Before the tournament, I also said that I expected good pitches. But the pitches here were not suitable. The best batsmen in Sri Lanka are here. The players who are good at striking and have the ability have been selected from domestic cricket. No one is forced to play cricket here. We also want to contribute to the country.”
Shanaka also felt that the fitness of the Sri Lankan players was not up to the standards required in modern cricket, and injuries also played a role.
“I don’t think the physical fitness is at the maximum level. I think that in this World Cup, we have had about four to five injuries, and our best players are out. So, we can clearly see that we have some issues with physical fitness.”
He also suggested that the selectors should consider fitness levels when selecting players for the team.
“I think fitness should be a top priority when playing for a country. If we look at the injuries, it's very hard to achieve the desired outcome. Because everyone knows how good Wanindu Hasaranga is, and Matheesha Pathirana, and Eshan Malinga. When we don't have these players, I'm not saying that it's an excuse.”
Shanaka is also unsure about his captaincy tenure after this disappointing performance, but he believes that Sri Lanka needs to set long-term goals before a major event.
“If we are going to a World Cup, we should focus on long-term goals. It's hard to play a tournament with short-term goals. As a captain, I don't know how long I will be in this role. It's up to the selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket,” he said.
“But I am happy that I had this opportunity to captain the team for a long time. I have made many good decisions, and I have also made mistakes. Actually, I am happy that I could captain a World Cup,” he added.
He also acknowledged that Sri Lanka lacked enough power hitters, which is essential in the shortest format.
“Actually, when we look at the entire Sri Lanka, there is a lack of power hitting. But we have to play according to the conditions in Sri Lanka. So, we need to determine the level of power hitting that is needed for those conditions. Because sometimes, when we play in Pallekele, we get good pitches, and power hitting is very helpful there.”
“Power hitting should be there, but the team management needs to decide how to select the players based on these conditions,” Shanaka said.
Sri Lanka will play Pakistan in their last match in Pallekele on Saturday, and Shanaka expects to finish the tournament on a positive note.
“No matter the problems that we have, we need to go into the match with a positive attitude. Because when we came to the World Cup, we had lost three games, but we started the tournament well. So, it's very important to finish the World Cup as a team. Because it gives us momentum for the next tournament,” Shanaka concluded.
