NEW DELHI: Fitness and form were not the only areas where Sri Lanka fell short, captain Dasun Shanaka said, as he also pointed to the “negative environment created outside” for his team’s exit from the T20 World Cup and even urged the government to shield players from criticism.
Shanaka apologised to the nation for the disappointing Super Eight exit after a 61-run defeat to New Zealand followed a 51-run loss to England. However, he expressed displeasure over the criticism directed at his players after their underwhelming displays.
"As players, it's very hard for us to control the outside noise. So, most of the time, we mainly hear negative stuff, so no matter how positive we are as players, there is a negative environment created from the outside," he said after the loss to New Zealand here on Wednesday.
"So that's a disadvantage for cricket in Sri Lanka, we only have this game and I don't think this could be saved. So, why the negativity is being spread like this? Okay we lost a World Cup; we know the reasons. We all have concerns.
"So, I think, we'll play and go, but at least for the players coming up next, if the government could interfere and stop those, I believe that will be a great help for the better mental health," he added in an unprecedented request.
In his apology to the country, Shanaka said his team failed to deliver in the Super Eights after a reasonably strong group stage campaign in which the co-hosts knocked out Australia.
"We feel very sorry about this. England match was also a match that we could have won...if we were more sensible, we could have won that. This match was a one-sided game. For the spectators, I don't have anything to tell, we have not given them any win that they can be happy about," Shanaka said.
Elaborating on the reasons for the slide after the group stage, he said the pitches did not play out as he had anticipated.
"Before the start of the tournament, I also mentioned that I expected the wickets to be good. So honestly, we are very sorry for what happened. No one goes out there to fail; everyone goes with the intention of playing well and winning for the team," he asserted.
"Unfortunately, we don't always get the conditions we want, sometimes we lose games from the things that we don't even think of, from the small changes. So, we are so sorry about that, as players we feel very sad about it," Shanaka said.
Half a dozen injuries
Shanaka also admitted that Sri Lanka’s fitness standards were below par and the injury list kept growing as the tournament went on. The side lost frontline pacer Matheesha Pathirana to a hamstring injury early in the competition before all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out with a similar issue.
"I don't think the physical fitness is up to the maximum level. I think for this World Cup, by this match, we have about four to five injuries, our best players are out. So, we can clearly see that we have some issues about the physical fitness.
"I think when we consider the past few World Cups, Sri Lanka must be on the list with most injured players. Sometimes, I think the other teams are way ahead of us when considering fitness level," he said.
"I think the fitness should be number one when playing for a country because that's unnegotiable...everyone knows how good Wanindu Hasaranga and he is a key player, and also the importance of Matheesha Pathirana, and then Eshan Malinga. When we don't have these players, (but) I'm not saying that it's an excuse."
Future uncertain
Shanaka is unsure about continuing as captain after the disappointing Super Eight campaign but said Sri Lanka must outline clear long-term plans heading into major tournaments.
"As a captain, I have no idea how long I will be the captain, it's decided by the selectors, by Sri Lanka Cricket. But I'm happy that I had this opportunity for this long time.
"I had many good decisions, and also, I have made mistakes as well. Actually, I'm happy that I could play a World Cup as a captain," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
