CWC 2019: Team Review – A glimmer of hope in Sri Lanka’s World Cup of learnings

It’d be fair to say that Sri Lanka came to the 2019 World Cup as the least fancied team of all. With only a handful of senior players and a majority of fresh faces, they weren’t expected to surprise anyone. Yet, the Lankans believed they had a lot more to take home than just a tour of England. The experienced Lasith Malinga, in his final World Cup appearance, did all that he could to take his team forward. For a team in its transition phase, Sri Lanka did well to finish sixth on the points table.

What went wrong?

It is the lack of experience in the squad that eventually led to Sri Lanka’s downfall, coupled with inclement rain that robbed them of two possible victories in the first half of the tournament. There were barely any notable contributions from veterans like Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews – men who were expected to step up on the big stage in pressure situations. They also couldn’t field a consistent playing XI  and had to readjust team combinations owing to injuries. Dimuth Karunaratne’s sudden reappearance as the captain in a tournament like the World Cup may have also added to their misery. Sri Lanka sorely missed a visionary leader who could chart out a roadmap for the team’s campaign with his experience.

What went right?

Every cloud has a silver lining. Sri Lanka had more than one. By the end of the league stage, they finished with the best run-rate (6.2) in the first powerplay, ahead of champions England (5.5). Their top order was unafraid to attack the opposition bowlers in the first 10 overs. Avishka Fernando’s emergence as a batting star inspired confidence in their batting order that has been in desperate need of some solidity. The way they stunned England by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat has made them believe that they’re headed in the right direction. Sri Lanka can take heart from the fact that they finished ahead of stronger teams like South Africa, Bangladesh and the West Indies when they weren’t expected to.

Find of the tournament

Nearly three years after he made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka, Avishka Fernando owned the World Cup stage with a scintillating maiden hundred against the West Indies. This, after he got promising starts earlier in the tournament (49 vs ENG, 30 vs SA). In just the 4 matches that he played, Fernando made his presence felt with a positive approach and confident stroke-making. The Sri Lankan cricket board must do everything in their control to nurture the talent of this 21-year old.

Areas for improvement

How long can Sri Lanka go on with Malinga on their side? Not too long. Taking all their learnings from this World Cup, they need to start planning for the next four years right about now. With Malinga set to retire, there will be a huge void in the bowling department to fill. Sri Lanka also need to build a strong unit of 4-5 core players who will show the way in the years to come.