‘Be serious’
With the ICC Under-19 World Cup on the horizon, intense practice sessions are being done to make sure that the Sri Lanka team has covered all the areas that they need to fix before their departure to South Africa in February 2020. The Asia Cup will be the first hurdle that junior coach Hashan Tillakaratne and his team will have to get through as they battle for supremacy and look to gain the confidence ahead of some important tours in the future.
Leading up to the tournament, there was the Super Provincial Tournament. According to Head Coach Tillakaratne, it was a stepping-stone for them as they found some talented players who can take Sri Lanka cricket forward in the future.
“It was a very well-organised tournament. There was a District Tournament. The National Under-19 players didn’t take part as the selectors thought the others won’t get an opportunity. The selections were transparent and were done through a draft. The top performers challenged the national Under-19 players and it was exciting to see the hidden talent,” Tillakaratne told the Sunday Times.
The former Sri Lanka Test skipper praised Kamil Mishara and Ahan Wickramasinghe for their performances in the Super Provincial Tournament and said that the duo have the ability to represent the national team sooner or later.
Head Coach Hashan Tillakaratne spoke high on Kamil Mishara (top left) and Ahan Wickramasinghe (top right) as future prospects
Sri Lanka has been lacking a quality spinner for quite a long time. Presently Akila Dananjaya is the sole frontline spinner Sri Lanka has got. According to Tillakaratne, Rohan Sanjaya is one of the prospects that might play a crucial role for the national team.
“Rohan Sanjaya has been very consistent. His release is as good as Ajith de Silva’s. He’s also proven himself against the top sides. He has played three Test matches and picked 25 wickets. The selectors should keep an eye on him closely,” he elaborated.
However, Tillakaratne was concerned with the form of the Sri Lanka Youth skipper Nipun Dananjaya. He scored only 40 runs in four matches during the Super Provincial Tournament, but Tillakaratne is confident that Dananjaya will be able to score the runs he usual does, by the time the Asia Cup gets underway.
Dananjaya’s recent failure in gathering runs has been a major concern for the Lankan Youth side as he has been a seasoned campaigner.
“He’s been batting well in the nets and has played First Class cricket for SSC (Sinhalese Sports Club). The Asia Cup is on home soil it will be a confidence booster for him as he plays in front of the home crowd and I am confident that he will bounce back in the nick of time,” a hopeful Tillakaratne stated.
Tillakaratne also he highlighted the fact that they have been doing intense training sessions to get the best out of the players and he also said that his players are looking forward for the challenge of playing against the best teams in Asia.
But he warned his team to not to be complacent at any stage of the tournament as it is important to put their best foot forward at all times, when it comes to knockout competitions such as the Asia Cup.
“Complacency is a term that we use when it comes to Knockout Tournaments, we should not take any team lightly in such competitions, even a minute mistake can cost you the tournament. We should be vigilant and concentrate until the tournament is over”.
Tillakaratne also said that it is a dream to play a major tournament at home, as Sri Lanka will host the all-important Under-19 Asia Cup from September 5 to 14.
“It’s very good, it will test their composure while playing in front of their friends and family on a big stage. Completing the process is the vital part. We are not thinking too ahead of ourselves. We want to reach the finals and finish well,” an optimistic Tillakaratne, hoping to feed his boys more energy physically and mentally, said in conclusion.