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Roy Dias wishes Sri Lanka to be prepared for ICC U-19 World Cup 2018

Avishak Fernando, Shammu Ashan, Vishad Randika and Damitha Silva playing for South Africa Youth Series will not be part ICC Under-19 World Cup 2018.

Roy Dias had coached Oman, Nepal and Sri Lanka © Getty Images
Roy Dias had coached Oman, Nepal and Sri Lanka © Getty Images

Sri Lanka’s Under-19 coach Roy Dias believes experience plays key role and this was reflected in selection of the squad for Sri Lanka who are playing home series against South Africa U-19. This will also be crucial when Sri Lanka will be playing in ICC Under-19 World Cup 2018 at New Zealand. Four players — Avishak Fernando, Shammu Ashan, Vishad Randika and Damitha Silva —  who are included in South Africa Youth Series will not be part ICC Under-19 World Cup 2018, who were part of ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016. Dias, however, said their experience was needed to help the younger players develop. ALSO READ: World Cup 1979: India suffer shocking defeat against Sri Lanka

Dias spoke to ESPNcricinfo.com and said, “There are about four experienced guys; other than that the rest are all playing for the first time at Under-19 international level. They are quite good; you have to expose them and give them more matches and see how they perform.  My idea is to prepare them for the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, which is in New Zealand. Right now we are playing the Under-19 boys, but most of them are 17-plus and we need to give them the experience, which is going to be important. We are playing the experienced guys so that the juniors can learn from them as well.”

After Dias appointment as coach in March, South Africa’s Youth Test as well as ODI series will be his first stint. Sri Lanka have been impressive against visitors and have managed to draw all three-Test series. Before Sri Lanka fly to tour England, they will playing Youth ODI match between July 9 and 13. In England, Sri Lanka are scheduled to play a tour match, two Youth Tests and three Youth ODIs. ALSO READ: Roy Dias: Gifted timer, glorious through the covers

Dias further added, “Although it is an Under-19 series the cut-off date for players is March 31, 1996 so it is more or less an Under-20 side that England will be fielding. Sri Lanka Cricket has given permission to play boys who will be 19-plus because we have to play good cricket. We can’t take a junior side and play an England team which is Under 20. It’s a good thing because some of the Under-19 boys who have finished with the Under-19 World Cup get another chance to play cricket.”

Dias has experience of coaching the senior team as well in 1998 before his stint with Oman and Nepal. He also has experience coaching a junior side, having done so with Nepal. On coaching the Under-19 boys, Dias mentioned, “I thought coaching the Under-19 boys was a good opportunity for me because I feel you have to start at the grass root level. I have been doing that in other countries and when I showed interest Sri Lanka Cricket gave me the job, it’s a one-year contract, which is renewable.” Dias also feels, the experience derived through school cricket has helped the younger bunch, “These guys are playing quite a lot of cricket than we did. We hardly played any cricket at all; we had about eight school matches for the season. These boys are getting more cricket and more exposure. I don’t think the standards have fallen. The side given to me is a good one and my job is to get them to the next level.”

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