Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka backs youth brigade
Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka has faith in the talents of his squad but admitted that they lack experience at the highest level.
Shanaka will need to lead Sri Lanka through a preliminary round after they failed to make the top eight on the T20I rankings before the tournament cut-off.
Despite that, Shanaka feels that his team has all the ability needed to emulate the 2014 Sri Lanka side who won the T20 World Cup.
The top five ranked batters ahead of the T20 World Cup
Shanaka backs Sri Lanka youth brigade
“If you recall, that squad had a lot of variety and depth. And with the youngsters we have coming through now I feel have the same potential, but the only thing lacking is the experience,” Shanaka said, speaking on a captains’ Zoom call. “If our guys perform to their strengths I feel they can go a long way in this tournament. Our fans in Sri Lanka have been waiting a long time for us to be successful, and I hope we can make them proud.”
Sri Lanka does have a handful of exciting talents in their group and Shanaka believes they have everything they need in all departments.
“We were not able to perform up to the mark in the last few years, but still the strength of our squad is very good. We’ve got two guys coming from the IPL, Kusal Janith [Perera] at the top of the order and Avishka Fernando, who is going well, coming in at Number four.
“We are settled with our batting line-up. We’ve recently changed our line-up a bit – I think we’ve struck a good balance.”
Pace on hand
Shanaka believes that the presence of Dusmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep will give them an edge over the associate nations they will face in round one.
“Going with two main fast bowlers, they give a lot of quality to the squad. And Associate nations, they don’t face a lot of 140+ fast bowlers.
“Obviously losing Pradeep is a concern. He had been bowling brilliantly over the last six months, and we were counting on him during this tournament, but still what we can get from Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha is massive.”
Rashid Khan picks his top five T20 players of all time
Sri Lanka start their T20 World Cup campaign against Namibia on Monday 18 October.
Latest
-
NewsJason Roy was never ready to ‘roll over’ despite year of setbacks and low points
Roy has for so long been England’s pacesetter at the top of the order but lost his place in the side.
-
NewsEngland batter Jason Roy emotional after return to form in South Africa defeat
Roy’s slump with the bat led to him being dropped ahead of England’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign last year.
-
EnglandJofra Archer will ‘get better and better’ but England batting needs more bite
Archer took one for 81 on a hot and sunny afternoon in Bloemfontein.
-
EnglandEngland beaten by South Africa in first ODI despite blistering Jason Roy century
Roy scored 113 off just 91 balls but South Africa ran out winners by 27 runs.
-
Women's CricketEngland reach Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup final after winning thriller
With Australia 96 for nine chasing 100, the England captain trapped Maggie Clark lbw to send her side through to face India in the final.
-
EnglandJofra Archer toils for little reward as South Africa set England 299 to win ODI
Archer believes he is at about “80 per cent” fitness so some rust was inevitable.
-
Women's CricketWomen’s T20 World Cup in South Africa to have all-female match officials
Three match referees and 10 umpires will form the 13-strong team.
-
England5 talking points as England turn attention to ODI format in a World Cup year
England have travelled to South Africa for three one-day internationals.
-
EnglandEngland captain Jos Buttler backs Jason Roy as the opener bids to find his form
Roy will open the innings alongside Dawid Malan as part of a new-look top-order in Friday’s first ODI against South Africa.
-
EnglandJofra Archer set to make long-awaited England comeback against South Africa
There were minor alarms when the fast bowler was not seen at Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Oval on Thursday.