Sunday Jan 19, 2025
Sunday Jan 19, 2025
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Sri Lanka white ball Captain Charith Asalanka, Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya and Chief Selector Upul Tharanga have some serious thinking to do to find settled T20I side
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Reflecting back on Sri Lanka’s performances in T20 Internationals over the past year Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya said that the team is not yet settled and there is a lot of work to be done to make it as competitive as the Test and ODI sides.
“The ODI and Test teams the players are fixed. I am personally looking for players to fill the positions of nos. 4 and 6 and all-rounders. We have to concentrate and look around and look at where we have to plug the gaps,” said Jayasuriya after Sri Lanka had completed a three-match T20I series against New Zealand which they lost 1-2.
“After this series we don’t have any T20I cricket for some time. We have to sit with the selectors and see whom we can get from the Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad to fill the slots to play the specific roles.”
One of the players Sri Lanka will look at is recall former Captain and all-rounder Dasun Shanaka.
Jayasuriya is of the view that Shanaka should be included in the squad for the next T20I series and white ball Captain Charith Asalanka has spoken to him personally.
Shanaka lost his captaincy and his place in the team following a string of low scores and has been overlooked for selection since July 2024. However in the recently concluded inaugural Sri Lanka T10 League he led Hambantota Bangla Tigers to the title and also won the Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament awards scoring 175 runs at a strike rate of 236.49 which was the highest by any player.
“At practice I told the players 2024 we did well in Tests and ODIs but in T20Is we have not performed as we were expected to, but we have done reasonably well. You have to think that when you play for Sri Lanka there are 22 million people watching,” said Jayasuriya. “As professional cricketers you’ll have to perform. You may have your personal goals to achieve, it is no problem, but this is a team game so play to win for the team and country. What good you have done last year, do the same this year too.”
“I have told them a World Cup is important. You will become history if you go and win it. So you’ll have to put your heads together and win it for me. I have brought you to a certain level from what you were at one time, you’ll have to maintain it. You cannot go down from here, but up.” Sri Lanka is due to host the next T20 World Cup with India in February-March 2026 which gives Sri Lanka enough time to prepare a strong side for the global event. Jayasuriya’s contract with Sri Lanka Cricket is also till the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
