Must win game against Bangladesh to qualify for Champions Trophy

• Match to go ahead despite Delhi toxic haze
• Match officials will treat air pollution just like any other weather condition

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis at yesterday’s pre-match media conference

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha

The 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign for Sri Lanka is more or less done and dusted with the team failing to qualify for a semi-final place. What is left now for Sri Lanka is to avoid from being dumped out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Unlike the 2023 Cricket World Cup, there is no qualification process for the Champions Trophy, it is clear cut. The teams that finish in the first seven of the current Cricket World Cup league plus the host country Pakistan qualify for the eight-team tournament.

Sri Lanka are currently in seventh position with two wins and four points and a win over Bangladesh won’t improve their position but will consolidate their place in the standings with six points. After Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s final league fixture is against New Zealand at Bengaluru on 9 November.

What Sri Lanka must be wary of are the teams below them. Currently, Netherlands are placed in eighth position with the same record as Sri Lanka on four points. Their final two matches are against England (8 November) and India (12 November). Bangladesh and England, bring up the rear of the league table, each with only one win and two points. Bangladesh’s final two fixtures are against Sri Lanka today and Australia on 11 November. England has to play Netherlands on 8 November and Pakistan on 11 November.

“Apart from the game against India, we have played good cricket in the other matches. The remaining two matches are important for us to qualify for the Champions Trophy,” said Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis at the pre-match press conference. “We have a target of what we should do tomorrow. I don’t think the team has declined at any stage. It is difficult to judge a team on just one result. It’s good for the team’s environment if we can win.”

Following their disastrous batting display against India, Sri Lanka will have to buckle up and put their best foot forward to gain some solace for the remainder of their matches of the World Cup. What Sri Lanka lacks is consistency in their batting which has been blow hot and blow cold.

“We are unhappy at what happened against India. It is something that you cannot easily forget but we can’t be delving too much on that because we have two more matches to play,” said Mendis. “We know where we made mistakes. As the captain we have discussed what we should do and hoping to perform well in the next two games.”

On today’s opponents Mendis said, “We have played Bangladesh so many times previously and I have confidence in my players. There have been instances where we have played badly, but come out strongly. I am confident we will do very well tomorrow.”  

Sri Lanka are going back to the venue where they played their first match of the World Cup against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where a total of 754 runs were scored by both sides. “Because we’ve played here before we have an idea of what the wicket is going to be like. I don’t think there will be much of a big difference from the first game.”

DELHI’S AIR POLLUTION

The other factor that both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have to overcome is the pollution in Delhi which has at times reached high AQI (Air Quality Index) between 300 and 400 which is rated “very poor”. Both teams cancelled practices in the past two days, but yesterday they were at practice in preparation for today’s crucial fixture.  

According to reports, on match day, officials will treat air pollution just like any other weather condition. This means that play could be called off if the conditions are deemed unfit for playing, and the health of the players is at risk. Therefore, if the match is cancelled in the extreme case, it won’t significantly impact either team’s chances in the World Cup. However, with a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy at stake, both teams would hope for the match to proceed.

Sri Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda said that they will stick to the guidelines provided by the ICC’s medical panel of doctors as regards the air pollution.

“We are constantly in touch with our medical team panel back in Sri Lanka. Actually, the professor who is in charge is already in India. He had come for a conference and we are in touch with him, and our team doctor,” said Halangoda. “Definitely we will be looking at the index, but obviously we will be guided by the ICC. I think they have a medical panel here so they will be giving us instructions. Obviously, today when we came, we were wearing masks, and we were told to wear masks. But it depends exactly what the outside index is.”

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha aired almost the same views when he said, “The air quality is affecting both teams and it’s not ideal. But we have no choice. We have to play in the conditions in front of us. But the pitch and the ground look immaculate. I think it is one of the best pitches that we’re probably going to play in this World Cup.”

“Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have played really good matches in the recent past. The thing is, both teams are in a really similar situation. To be honest, we are trying to finish as high as possible because we have lost the opportunity to get into the semi-final now. But still the Champions Trophy qualification is up for grabs. So, this game has a big impact on who finishes higher.”