Published: Mar 28, 2015, 01:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 28, 2015, 01:22 PM (IST)
This ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was looking to be a good outing for the Sri Lankan team until the clash against South Africa in the quarter-finals came into foray, where the team eventually crashed out. Sri Lanka failed to produce their form from the group stages as South Africa tore them thick and thin. Untimely injuries coupled with poor form of the side’s top order batsmen summed up Angelo Mathews side’s s journey.
After a week from their exit, Sri Lankan cricketing authorities now have pointed the finger on lack of fitness and the poor outing of the side’s top order batsmen against South Africa for failing to progress beyond the quarter-final of the blockbuster event. Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya, who is also the chief selector said officials, will come up with new methods to make sure better fitness and take ‘hard decisions’ about players who were substandard.
“This [fitness] is an area we need to address and take hard decisions about players who don’t meet the new standards we will set,” Jayasuriya said in a report from AFP.
The Sri Lankan team’s fitness was exposed as Jayasuriya said that five players Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, Dimuth Karunaratne, Jeevan Mendis and Rangana Herath had to be replaced during the tournament due to injuries. Also, skipper Mathews wasn’t happy with the top order batting that led to the daunting defeat at the hands of South Africa.
“We did well in the first six matches, but then our top order batting failed,” Mathews said.
Sri Lanka according to head coach Marvan Atapattu weren’t considered as favourites but perhaps he hoped for the team to at least reach the semi-final of the World Cup.
“They have performed below my expectations. I thought we could win a quarter final. From there on, we would have had a good chance,” Atapattu concluded by saying.
