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Selectors told me to play the anchor role and I did that: Dimuth Karunaratne
Follow UsKarunaratne received a callup for then home ODI series against Afghanistan - his first in over two years
Despite being Sri Lanka's best Test batter in the last couple of years, Dimuth Karunaratne has not been able to cement his side in the limited overs format. In fact, he last played an ODI over two years ago.
"I played only a few games for Sri Lanka (after the 2019 World Cup) and then a couple of matches for club cricket and nothing else, and I just played lots of red-ball cricket. When I got dropped from the national side I did really well and I had an average of more than 40 at that time and scored a few fifties and at the same time we had seven 100-plus partnerships for Sri Lanka."
A major criticism about his gameplay has been his lack of ability to accelerate. A strike rate below 75 even after playing 30 innings does support that. However, the Sri Lanka Test skipper felt that a lot was being made about this.
"I think we did our part, with Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando and I did my job really well and that is what is expected out of me from the selectors and I did that. Selectors told me to bat till 40th over and play the anchor role and I did that. The new selectors told something different and their vision is different and what they want to bring to the Sri Lanka side and we respect it."
He also went on to say that every team cannot be viewed from the same lens. Conditions at home, players skills, etc. also matter.
"In our culture we don't have too many cricketers like England. They have a lot of cricketers but that is not the case with us and we don't have it, we have limited cricketers. But we have enough fitness and we can just rotate the strike and play with the gaps and that is the kind of players we had in the past."
"I think we need someone who can bat for longer periods and so others can bat around him and that is how we have had success in Sri Lanka cricket. I believe we need someone who can bat till the 40th over," he said. "I won't be asking selectors because if I am good enough they will pick me. I am not going to chase the selectors and say I am capable because I am not like that. I want to score runs and talk with the bat."