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AFP: Sri Lanka’s cricketers have been urged to ignore trolling on social media after a dismal run of results triggered a wave of criticism – with even a government minister poking fun online.
Team mentor Aravinda de Silva said players should not be disheartened ahead of the third Test against India starting on Saturday, despite their innings and 53-run loss in last week’s second Test.
Sri Lanka were also hammered by 304 runs in the first Test, which came after they humiliatingly lost a home one-day series to bottom-ranked Zimbabwe, and made an early exit from the Champions Trophy in June.
Young players should “not to be discouraged by extraneous elements that seek to demoralise them via social media and gossip sites”, said former captain de Silva, according to a Sri Lanka Cricket statement.
Fans have been roasting the Sri Lankan team after their recent performances, which included their first home series defeat to Zimbabwe – who hadn’t won a series overseas in eight years.
One post jokes that Sri Lanka won the second Test because they had two innings to India’s one. Another says the hosts threw the match because they didn’t want to play on the fifth day, which was a Buddhist holiday.
Government minister Harsha de Silva tweeted a picture of himself with Indian skipper saying: “Told Virat Kohli #India Cricket to go easy on #SriLanka next Test. 600 a bit too steep.”
The jokes extend a rough ride for Sri Lanka’s team, who were accused of having “pot bellies” by the country’s sports minister after they failed to reach the semi-finals of the eight-team Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka Cricket said the players met with top officials and coaches on Monday in an attempt to regroup.
“Sri Lanka are currently facing what is perceived to be a ‘slump’ in their performance and ranking,” the board said.
The board is trying to rectify “a series of administrative and strategic missteps over the past several years”, it added.
Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya pleaded for more time to deliver results and urged “everyone to stay focused and remain positive with the 2019 World Cup as their singular goal”.
Sri Lanka’s former coach Graham Ford noted in February last year that he faced a huge rebuilding task in his second stint with the team. He quit the role in June, with his deputy Nic Pothas now acting as interim coach.
Batting stars Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara both retired from international cricket in 2015, and Sri Lanka have been struggling to fill the vacuum.
ESPNCricinfo: Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former quick Rumesh Ratnayake to the top fast-bowling coaching job in the country. As SLC’s head of fast bowling, Ratnayake will work closely with Sri Lanka’s high-performance centre, and will oversee the work of the board’s other fast-bowling coaches, including whoever is posted with the national team. He may not himself work and tour with the Sri Lanka side, however.
“Ratnayake will head the national fast-bowling program, spearheading its talent identification, skills development and training processes in cohesion with the national high-performance plan,” an SLC release said.
Ratnayake’s appointment does not have any immediate impact on Chaminda Vaas, who is the fast-bowling coach presently working with the national team. SLC cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha did state, however, that the fast-bowling coach embedded with the Sri Lanka side may change from tour to tour.
“All the fast-bowling coaches will work under Rumesh,” Gurusinha told ESPNcricinfo. “We will then work with the high-performance centre to get the specialist coaches in whenever the national team needs. We will take specialists to different tours. If the head coach says, ‘I want so-and-so’, we will put a request to high performance and get that coach.”
Ratnayake’s most recent high-profile coaching position with Sri Lanka was during the 2015 World Cup, where he worked as a supplementary fast-bowling coach with the national team, also alongside Vaas. He had also been interim head coach during Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2011.
One of the fastest Sri Lanka bowlers in the 1980s, Ratnayake had taken 73 Test wickets at an average of 35.10 during his playing career.
AFP: Key bowler Rangana Herath has joined Sri Lanka’s growing injury list ahead of the start of the third and final Test against India starting Thursday, in a blow to their hopes of a consolation win.
The 39-year-old spinner, Sri Lanka’s number one and the world number three in Tests behind India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, is out with a back injury, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said.
“Herath will not be able to play in the third Test,” Jayasuriya said. “He is suffering a stiff back.”
Sri Lanka have already suffered crushing defeats in the first two Tests and losing Herath compounds their problems.
All-rounder Asela Gunaratne and bowler Nuwan Pradeep picked up injuries in the first and second Tests respectively.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal missed the first Test after being hospitalised for pneumonia, and fast bowler Suranga Lakmal was ruled out before the series.
Herath’s place is likely to be taken by left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara.
India will also be handicapped by the one-match ban slapped on Jadeja by the International Cricket Council for dangerous play.
The left-arm spinner was reprimanded for a dangerous throw in the second Test in Colombo. He was also docked half his match fee and given six demerit points by the ICC over the second incident in a year.
After the final delivery of the 58th over, fielding off his own bowling, Jadeja threw the ball back at batsman Dimuth Karunaratne, who had not left his crease.
The ball narrowly missed him in a manner which the umpires deemed “dangerous”, the ICC said. Jadeja took five wickets to help dismiss Sri Lanka for 386, as India triumphed by an innings and 53 runs to wrap up the series.
