Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has apologised to the nation following another disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, admitting his side failed to “bring smiles” to supporters after being eliminated from the Super Eight stage by New Zealand.
Sri Lanka’s exit was sealed after a 61-run defeat to New Zealand, which followed a 51-run loss against England. While acknowledging shortcomings in form and fitness, Shanaka also pointed to what he described as a “negative environment created outside” as a contributing factor, and made an unusual appeal for government intervention to shield players from criticism.
“As players, it’s very hard for us to control the outside noise. So, most of the time, we mainly hear negative stuff, so no matter how positive we are as players, there is a negative environment created from the outside,” he said after the loss to New Zealand here on Wednesday.
So that’s a disadvantage for cricket in Sri Lanka, we only have this game and I don’t think this could be saved. So, why the negativity is being spread like this? Okay we lost a World Cup; we know the reasons. We all have concerns.
“So, I think, we’ll play and go, but at least for the players coming up next, if the government could interfere and stop those, I believe that will be a great help for better mental health,” he added in an unprecedented request.
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Apology After Missed Opportunity
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Shanaka said Sri Lanka were unable to replicate their group-stage form in the Super Eights, despite having earlier knocked out Australia as co-hosts.
“We feel very sorry about this. England match was also a match that we could have won…if we were more sensible, we could have won that. This match was a one-sided game. For the spectators, I don’t have anything to tell, we have not given them any win that they can be happy about,” Shanaka said.
He added that conditions did not unfold as he had anticipated, contributing to the team’s struggles after the group phase.
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“Before the start of the tournament, I also mentioned that I expected the wickets to be good. So honestly, we are very sorry for what happened. No one goes out there to fail; everyone goes with the intention of playing well and winning for the team,” he asserted.
“Unfortunately, we don’t always get the conditions we want, sometimes we lose games from the things that we don’t even think of, from the small changes. So, we are so sorry about that, as players we feel very sad about it,” Shanaka said.
Fitness Concerns and Injury Toll
Shanaka conceded that physical conditioning remains an area of concern, highlighting a growing injury list during the tournament. Sri Lanka were without premier fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana due to a hamstring issue early in the event, while all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was also sidelined with a similar problem.
“I don’t think the physical fitness is up to the maximum level. I think for this World Cup, by this match, we have about four to five injuries, our best players are out. So, we can clearly see that we have some issues about the physical fitness.
“I think when we consider the past few World Cups, Sri Lanka must be on the list with most injured players. Sometimes, I think the other teams are way ahead of us when considering fitness level,” he said.
“I think fitness should be number one when playing for a country because that’s unnegotiable…everyone knows how good Wanindu Hasaranga is and he is a key player, and also the importance of Matheesha Pathirana , and then Eshan Malinga. When we don’t have these players, (but) I’m not saying that it’s an excuse.”
Captaincy in Doubt
Looking ahead, Shanaka admitted he is uncertain about his future as captain following the underwhelming Super Eight campaign, noting that the decision rests with the selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket. He stressed the importance of setting long-term objectives ahead of major tournaments.
“As a captain, I have no idea how long I will be the captain, it’s decided by the selectors, by Sri Lanka Cricket. But I’m happy that I had this opportunity for this long time.
“I had many good decisions, and also, I have made mistakes as well. Actually, I’m happy that I could play in the World Cup as a captain,” he said.
