“I’m sorry,” Sri Lanka captain Dasan Shanaka said, his voice low but firm. “We’re not giving our fans what they deserve.”
Under the floodlights of Hetalama, Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup dream had just been dashed. A heartbreaking 61-run defeat to New Zealand led to their exit from this exciting tournament. The packed stands at the R Premadasa Stadium were silent as Shanaka spoke at the post-match presentation ceremony. From the sea-soaked walls of Galle, to the sleepless towers of Colombo, to the sunburnt shores of Mirissa, the entire country is in mourning.
While apologizing to the fans for the team’s “embarrassing” performance, Shanaka bizarrely called on the Sri Lankan government to step in and stop the negative atmosphere surrounding the team. “There’s so much negativity around this team,” he said. “You can try to keep a positive attitude in the dressing room but outside, the noise never stops.
“Most of the time we hear mainly negative things. The external environment has created a negative environment. This is not good for Sri Lankan cricket. At least for the next players, if the government can intervene and stop these (public criticisms), I believe it will go a long way for our better mental health,” he added in an unprecedented plea.
Shanaka spoke of the microphones gathered outside the gate and the comments from people who, in his words, “didn’t even watch the game.”
Criticism of Sri Lanka’s lackluster performance has turned into a violent firestorm in a country where enthusiasm is running high. Long before the game started, the results were not promising. Sri Lanka’s limited-overs format has entered no man’s land since the middle of last year. By the time the T20 World Cup arrived, confidence was already fragile.
Shanaka admitted that he and the team management misread the surface of Hethalama, expecting a more realistic trajectory of the bat. Instead, Spin caught on early and decisively. Six wickets fell to New Zealand’s slower bowlers as Sri Lanka climbed to 107/8. “Our best batsmen are here,” he insisted. “No one comes here by force. But sometimes you don’t get the conditions you expect.”
The Sri Lanka captain’s remarks did not hide the obvious incompetence of his batsmen. Against New Zealand, Sri Lanka’s batsmen showed little intention and no clear blueprint. Sometimes a string of recklessness only accelerates a slippery slope. They struggled to penetrate the court, failed to rotate their offense, and were suffocated by pressure. The game seemed to be stuck in first gear.
Injuries exacerbated the decline. Crafty spinner Wanindu Hasaranga suffered a torn hamstring in the opening match. A few days later, pacer Matheesha Pathirana suffered a calf strain. Eshant Malinga was ruled out even before the first ball was bowled. “Fitness has to be non-negotiable,” Shanaka said, acknowledging the existence of deeper, recurring fault lines.
Former captain Kumar Sangakkara says Sri Lanka are in danger of becoming irrelevant in the world of cricket. He wrote on
Sri Lanka lost more than just a game on Wednesday. They lost motivation, belief, and perhaps some level of trust between the team and the public.
