Sanath Jayasuriya, the head coach of Sri Lanka, stated on Tuesday that even though they were humiliated by Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 International, they are not under any pressure.
In the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series, Sri Lanka, who had won the Test and ODI series, lost by 83 runs after being bowled out for 94 runs in 16 overs while attempting to chase down 178.
“Not pressure as such. We need to play well. We have won the Test and ODI series and we need to finish off the T20s well. Players want to do well and we are working hard,” Jayasuriya told reporters on Tuesday.
“We need to bat well and long for by the top three. The bowlers are experienced enough and they know what to do. We have lot of experienced players and whoever who gets set needs to bat well,” he said.
“I don’t want to be under pressure all the time. This is too much. No one wants to be under pressure like this. It’s a challenge. It’s part of cricket. We did mistakes last game. We need to bounce back and it’s simple,” he said.
“Players know where we went wrong. Lot of people will be out here to see the game. Cricket loving public is trusting us and that’s the key. Everyone knows what to do and hopefully they will handle the pressure,” he said.”[In] the second T20 we didn’t chase well. One of the top three guys has got to bat through to 15 overs. That didn’t happen. Overall I think we need more consistency from the batting unit. That is what we have told the boys. We need to do well in all three departments. Players know what their expectations,” he said.
Mohammad Salahuddin, the senior assistant coach for Bangladesh, stated that they are driven to finish the tour with a bang.
“We can talk about tomorrow’s match tomorrow, but I feel the way we played the last match has given the boys good momentum and confidence. So, I hope we can finish well here, and InshaAllah, we will try to play good cricket,” said Salahuddin.
“Motivation comes when you play well and win. I believe the way we played and won the last match will give us great motivation. What has happened in history doesn’t matter much. As a coach, I never think about what happened in the past, because if we play poorly tomorrow, we will hear criticism again. So, we will try to play well in all aspects-batting, bowling, and fielding-tomorrow,” he said.
Because they have no other choice but to play cricket, Salahuddin continued, their cricket players lack the mental fortitude to take criticism.
“Playing cricket in our country means you have to be ready to face criticism; it’s natural. In other countries like Australia or England, players enjoy the game, and even if they fail, they have many options, including other jobs, or even unemployment benefits. Our players don’t have that. Their families depend on cricket, and they can’t just switch to another job if cricket doesn’t work out. This naturally brings extra pressure, but we are trying to help them come out of it and develop a better mindset to enjoy cricket more. Even small things, like a piece you write, can add to their pressure, but they need to learn to overcome these challenges and enjoy the game,” said Salahuddin adding that skipper Litton Kumar Das need to enjoy the game more.
“About captaincy, when I see Liton up close and talk cricket with him, I see he thinks deeply, which is important for a captain. Sometimes he over thinks because he wants to do well, and that can affect his enjoyment of the game and performance. I think he is trying to overcome this, and in the future, he will lead even better,” he concluded.
