“If we make the right decisions that day and carry out our plans, I’m sure we can emerge victorious,” he told a crowded media room at Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters on Friday, in the latest press interview ahead of the team match. leaving for Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup. “The confidence level is definitely higher [than at the last World Cup], but my concern has always been the process. Even at the last World Cup I felt we had the talent to at least make it to the semi-finals. The most important thing is your ability to play and perform on the day.”
The Sri Lanka team will leave for Australia two weeks before their opening match in the first round of the World Cup against Namibia on October 16. They were at a skills intensive training camp in Kandy in the last week of September. Both point to the level of preparation that this side of Sri Lanka is undertaking.
“With bowling we are still working on Yorkers, to make sure we can be successful on Australian wickets, to make sure we have the skills to support our plans,” he said. “We have a few warm-up matches before the game in Namibia. Before that we will play match scenarios among ourselves to make sure we can control the environment in which we train.
“Both Lahiru [Kumara] and Dushmantha [Chameera] were part of our camp, and they both managed to hit their bowling quotas without a hitch. I think they are well prepared for the World Cup”
Dasun Shanaka
“We’re actually very specific about what we’re trying to train. For example, we did a Super Over in Kandy, which is all nice, but it highlights where it can be a little chaotic in the Super Over. It’s happening very quickly and we have to make it happen.” make sure we keep a cool head.
“Then the size of the terrain in Australia – they have some big grounds – we’re going to have to learn to deal with it. We have to make sure we get the distance just outside the boundary to cut the corners and get the guys used to that to do.”
The first step to build on the success of the Asian Cup is to identify the areas that need improvement. Much of the Asian Cup victory in Sri Lanka has been based on winning toss and chasing, and despite hitting a total and defending it in the final, it’s not quite in their comfort zone.
“There will always be areas to improve – I think putting totals, something we did really well in the final [of the Asia Cup] but something we haven’t done much of,” said Silverwood. “So it’s something we need to think about.”
While success leads to self-confidence, it also brings expectation. And after a long time, a Sri Lankan team goes to a big tournament, buoyed by genuine excitement and, in a soft whisper, optimism.
“I tend to look at it differently. Obviously there are expectations here at home in Sri Lanka. But I think the energy we get from the fans is great, and I think the guys feel that. I think we it can.” use that as a real positive,” Silverwood said. “The fact that everyone is behind us, the nation is behind us, and we’re trying to put a smile on everyone’s face, to me it’s positive. Something that we can use as energy, and something that we have used as energy already in the locker room.”
For Shanaka, it’s a matter of resetting from the pinnacle of the Asian Cup victory and refocusing on the fundamentals that got them there.
Chris Silverwood couldn’t have hoped for a better start on the Sri Lankan side•SLC
“Winning the Asian Cup was good, but it’s only one tournament,” he said. “We don’t think about that anymore, that’s a thing of the past. Because if we keep focusing on that, we can’t look ahead and perform as we should.
“In the camp [in Kandy] every player has done their best. I was afraid there would be some guys who would be a little relaxed after winning the Asian Cup, but it wasn’t like that. Everyone practiced with even more intensity than usual and I am confident that we can deliver a good performance at the World Cup.”
“Both Lahiru and Dushmantha were part of our camp, and they both managed to hit their bowling quotas without any problem,” he said. “I think they are well prepared for the World Cup.”
Overall, the mood in the Sri Lankan camp is understandably as high as it has been in a long time, with Silverwood particularly pleased with the camaraderie between players, as well as their willingness to “learn, adapt and try new things”. “I hear a lot of people talking about how together the guys are and you really feel that from the inside.”
And it is that feeling that has caused this side of Sri Lanka to leave for Australia, although far from the finished article, an article that seems to be gradually evolving into something more than the one that came to the UAE both last year and last month. went.