Also unable to address corruption scams, Sri Lanka When qualifying for the upcoming World Cup was decided, they dropped out of the top eight, condemning them to early games against outsiders such as the Netherlands, Ireland and Namibia.
But as part of an overhaul, de Silva, the vice-captain of the team that won the 50-over World Cup in 1996, was handed over the reins of Sri Lanka. Cricket Committee.
another legend, Mahela Jayawardene, a member of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2014, is drafted to guide a team competing in the United Arab Emirates and Oman – To give “trust and support”.
On the field, all-rounder Dasun Shanaka He is the latest to take on the role of captain to bring order.
“I think people have to understand that this is a very young team,” de Silva told AFP ahead of Sri Lanka’s first World Cup match against Namibia on Monday. Shanaka “has done well so far”, he said.
“So I think we need to support these guys. I think there were some issues with discipline and things like that.
“And the biggest issue is I think the cricketer should be allowed to play cricket, and the administration should focus on their administrative stuff.”
The 55-year-old said that Sri Lanka is making changes in the domestic cricket structure to prepare players for the national team.
“If you look at the Sri Lanka team, they have the talent, but maybe some places, the way they approach the game in the batting lineup, they can be made more efficient and effective.
“This kind of thinking comes through experience and understanding the game well.”
According to de Silva, most coaches and selectors do not have enough T20 experience, but Jayawardene has been the top player and head coach for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
“We wanted him to spend some time and talk about situations, how to handle those situations. These young boys need to understand all that and how to approach them in a certain situation.”
De Silva and former Australian star Tom Moody introduced new performance-based contracts for players that were initially rejected.
Angelo Mathews, whose annual contract was slashed by $50,000 a year and pulled out of national duty in July for “personal reasons”, is back in the squad – though not for the World Cup.
Off-field problems have become legend.
Kusal Mendis, opener Danushka Gunathilaka and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella were all handed one-year bans for breaking the team’s coronavirus bubble in England in July.
Of their 12 T20 matches this year, Sri Lanka have won three and lost nine. They faced series whitewashes against England and South Africa, causing outrage among fans.
However, they won the series 2–1 against the second-row Indian team in August to regain some respect in a cricket-crazy nation of 21 million.
Doubts remain though – former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage announced this month that Sri Lanka will “never win another World Cup” until match-fixing is eliminated.
He said it was the administrators of the game, not the players, at the center of the rot.
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