‘Carpe Diem’ — the plan Lankans will stick to in UAE
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Mahela and Mickey -- how far will SL go with the M duo?
Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka, leading his side into his first ICC major tournament as a captain, pinned hopes on Pathum Nissanka, saying he is capable as a contributor, but should also seize the opportunity of the big stage in making the most and cementing his status.
“Yeah, obviously, he has been a guy coming through the system. We actually know how capable he is, but still when you come to a bigger stage you’ve got to make a mark by scoring good runs. I feel he will take this tournament on his own and make it count for himself,” he told the ICC’s virtual captain’s corner yesterday.
Reflecting on his team’s preparation into the tournament starting today, Shanaka disclosed they were armed with a settled batting unit and their domestic campaign – Sri Lanka’s Invitation T20 League – had paved the way in experimenting their batting.
“It worked really well for us,” said Shanaka of the end result.
Wanindu Hasaranga, increasingly an all-rounder now, has been a vital cog in the wheel, and is after an Indian Premier League exposure.
The captain-cum-all-rounder hailed him for being amazing over the last two years and pointed out; it is exactly due to that he is sitting in the top two spots in T20 bowling.
“He is very hard to read, because his stride comes from a lower angle. Along with him, we have got Maheesh Theekshana as well– two exciting young talents for us. Going forward, I think they will do a real good job for the team. They will make it count for us,” he said of his spinners.
However, in a significant loss to the 2014 champions, they will be without the services of their pace ace Nuwan Pradeep.
“Missing Pradeep is a main concern as well. Because he has been bowling brilliantly in the last six months. He has been in peak performance. He should have done a lot of work for us in the tournament,” Shanaka rued adding, “but still what we can compensate from – Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.”
Going with two main fast bowlers, they give a lot of depth to the squad. The associate nations have not very much faced the pacies who easily hit 140kmph. With the current form, the skipper believes his fellow speedsters will play a massive part going forward to the next stage of the tournament.
Their coach Mickey Arthur, also at his first world cup in-charge of the Lankans, are few people better placed to lead his charge through the first round of the world cup. Touted as a coach throughout his playing days, Arthur has always exhibited the virtues of the profession. Approachable, clear in communication, and meticulous in detail, Arthur’s emotions in the stands or in the dugout are there for everyone to see, as he lives the ups and downs of international cricket almost alongside his players.
“I love the passion. I love the intensity of it. I love riding that emotional wave,” a buoyant Arthur said speaking to the ICC, showing no signs of changing his coaching styles during Sri Lanka’s campaign.
“Some people say coaches should be stoney-faced and just sit there. It’s not my character. I can’t do that. I love the journey. I love the drive.”
The Sri Lankan job is Arthur’s fourth international role across a 16-year international coaching career, a span now longer than his time as a professional player.
“I think first of all you’ve got to understand it’s about the players. The environment is about the players and you’re there to create that environment for them. The most important thing for me though is seeing player development. Seeing young guys come into your system, seeing them develop and then seeing them be successful at international level,” Arthur explained.
“There’s no better feeling in the world for a coach than having had a small impact in that player’s development,” he said.
“But all I want to know is that the boys are learning, that they’re going in the right direction and they’re getting better and better,” Arthur said of his coaching objectives.
“Religion plays such an important part of their lives so you adapted your training sessions around prayer times. I must admit the Sri Lankan boys are almost exactly the same. It’s a wonderful team to be a part of.”
Of the 16 teams at the tournament, seven are led by South African coaches. The Lankan coach will be going head-to-head with two of them in Group A of the First Round: Namibia’s Pierre de Bruyn and Ireland’s Graham Ford.