Follow UsSri Lanka’s head coach Sanath Jayasuriya said his team and the entire coaching staff will have to “accept criticism” after getting clean swept by India in the three-match T20I series. The 55-year-old, however, has still requested the fans to come out and support the team during the three-match ODI series, starting in Colombo on August 2 (Friday).
“We must be prepared to accept criticism. I see the players putting in an enormous amount of effort. I appeal to the fans to come to the ground and support the team during the ODIs,” said Jayasuriya before the first ODI.
The hosts were in a decent position in all three T20Is but suffered a batting collapse in every game to throw away the momentum. Especially in the final T20I, Sri Lanka needed 28 runs off 29 deliveries, with nine wickets remaining. They did lose a couple of wickets but still managed to get the equation down to 9 off 12, with six wickets to go.
However, they failed to get the job done against two part-time offspinners - Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav - and the game went to the Super Over, which they lost. "The third game should never have gone to a Super Over.
"As coaches, you can tell stuff but handling pressure is for those out in the middle. We are aware that part-time bowlers (Rinku and Suryakumar) had got those crucial wickets. It is disappointing.
"Kusal Perera from the middle had made a gesture to send a right-hander in. His intentions of letting us know that a right-hander was needed is correct. We were prepared for the routine batting line-up. But when the set batter sends a message you need to listen to that. I would have been happier had Kusal Perera finished it off."
Talking about those middle-order collapses, Jayasuriya said it’s not a skill-related issue. “We have created a system where top-order batters could bat for two or three-hours during training. Kamindu Mendis batted for more than 600 balls during our training. Kusal Perera batted for over 700 balls and that's quite a number of overs. I don't see lack of commitment, but they have got to tackle pressure better. Their cricket awareness also needs sharpening.
"If you see, in the last three games, we started well. That's what you're looking for - for the top three-four to bat well, which we did. That is a positive sign. Also in the second game, the rain-affected game, we started well and we could have had some more runs on the board. The third game also, it was a very good start for us, and we bowled well. Apart from the first game, we fielded really well, we fielded well... But still there is no excuse for us to say anything, and for us to win is the ultimate thing.
"It's disappointing as a coach, but we have to take the criticism as well, as a coach, as a support staff, as a team. We are taking the responsibility, you can't go away from that. As long as they realise that, and make sure that, we'll have to keep giving them the confidence and support I had to go through this (phase) in my time as a cricketer, every cricketer has to go through this. When criticism comes, you have to take it."
Sri Lanka will also be without their premier seamers - Dilshan Madhushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Binaru Fernando - in this series. "It's a bit unfortunate. Even before this series started, two got injured. Just before the T20s had started, three got injured.
“Unfortunately, as a coach it's the worst thing when my key fast bowlers are getting injured. We'll have to have the replacements. That's the key. Sri Lanka Cricket's High Performance Centre has the responsibility to make sure that the replacements are available. It's tough for some of the players who haven't been in the international arena, and haven't played international cricket. It's good that they will be in the squad around these players and get that experience. So, it's a bit tough."
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