Hashan and his Lion cubs dream of World Cup glory
Youth coach Hashan Tillakaratne having a chat with one of his players at Dambulla
As the Under (U)-19 World Cup (WC) looms, Head Coach HashanTillakaratne believes his team has the potential to do well in South Africa, with players who will represent the National team in the near future.
Hashan Tillakaratne is considered one of the best batsmen this country has produced. He played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s WC triumph in 1996. At present, he has been given the responsibility of `grooming the next generation of players that will represent the national team in the years to come.
“Our preparations for the U-19 WC have been very good. We have four important tours before the tournament in 2020, with the players keen to perform on those tours, while looking forward to the challenge in South Africa,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Times.
“The U-19 squads are being selected according to their performances at school cricket level and we are looking to have a mixture of youth and experience that would be beneficial for the future of Sri Lanka cricket,” Tillakaratne said.
The U-19 team will have a hectic schedule leading up to the showpiece event in South Africa in 2020. They are playing a 5-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan, after which Sri Lanka will host the Asia Cup, followed by tours of Bangladesh and West Indies.
School cricket is known as the backbone of Sri Lanka’s cricket and has produced a number of players who made Sri Lanka proud. However, according to Tillakaratne, a lot needs to be done to improve the standard of cricket being played at school level.
“Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is doing its utmost to improve the standard of school cricket and, after I was appointed as Head Coach, I am working very hard with the school coaches. I am hopeful that standards will improve in the future”.
He also said that coaches need to be advised on how to groom youngsters to the national team at an early age, so that, they can have long and successful careers. He also said that, SLC intends to organise a provincial tournament for them.
“In the early days, we produced the youngest Test cricketer Sanjeewa Weerasinghe, who was 17 when he debuted. Even I played when I was in school. There are other players such as Roshan Mahanama Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Siva and Asanka Gurusinha, who all played soon after leaving school. At present, we need to educate the coaches and, if we can do that, we can get players directly from school cricket into the national team,” he stresed.
He also didn’t forget to express his thoughts on the victorious Australia series.
“I am very proud of the whole team. Everyone played their respective roles and, as a result of that, we were able to win after 35 years,” Tillakaratne recalled with a sense of satisfaction.
Fitness plays a key role in cricket these days hence, the workload of the U-19 squad needs to be monitored frequently.
“Fitness is an important aspect in cricket. We always conduct fitness tests and depending on the results, we pick the squad,” he said.
He did not forget to share his memories on the victorious 1996 WC. He believes that Sri Lanka has a chance to shine at the WC. The former middle-order bat urged the public to give their heartfelt support in the hour of need
“As a Sri Lankan, I am a firm believer of the fact that, we have the strength to beat any team, if we play consistently. I urge our beloved fans to support our team and to keep faith, as they battle for glory. I would like to witness those glory days again. It’s been 23 years, but I still cuddle my WC kit before I go to sleep,” Tillakaratne concluded.
Sri Lanka, however, has a tough task at the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup in England, rated as one of the most competitive in its history. But it is hoped that the Sri Lanka U-19s could impress at the ICC Youth WC.