It has gone out of control now: Sri Lankan batting coach Avishka Gunawardene

While Windies and Bangladesh are fighting hard against superior outfits like Australia and England, Sri Lanka haven’t managed to match up with the Men in Blue in a single game. The Lions came close to winning only once but surrendered in front of the heroics of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. As a result, after suffering a humiliating clean sweep in the Test series, the hosts are very likely to finish the ODI series with a similar treatment.

This no-show from the Lankans has left their support staff bewildered and has resulted in a dirty blame game. Head coach Nic Pothas accused the selection committee for the awful performance from the team which once boasted of legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. The selection committee, headed by Sanath Jayasuriya, had to resign from their position but there is no change in the end result.

Frustrated by the unending streak of losses, Sri Lankan batting coach Avishka Gunawardene has admitted that the proceedings have gone out of control now and the determination in the dressing room is negligible. “It has gone beyond our control now. We have to make sure that we try and win the game tomorrow. That is the only way we can turn things around. If I say that mood is really good I will be lying. To be brutally honest, confidence level is really down and naturally so when you are 4-0 down,” he said.

“We don’t have much time for preparation. It is only two days since the last game. More than preparation and stuff we need to get mental side right. As coaches, we try to give all the players confidence. We will see how it goes. We have given them some targets and let’s see how it goes. But I must say that the guys are trying hard. Their enthusiasm is still pretty high. We have been trying to give them certain targets and hopefully, we can achieve those targets,” Gunawardene further added.

Speaking about the inability of the batters to make a big score even after getting a good start, Avishka said, “In all four ODIs, almost everyone in the top six batsmen have taken starts. However, they could not go on to get a big one. It is these small things that matter. These guys are still young and they need to learn, and fast.”

On working with Lahiru Thirimanne

Veteran batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has returned to the Lankan team in the ongoing series. When asked about the experience of working with Lahiru, Avishka stated “Eight months back he was a with me in the A-team. He had a few issues with the way his head was moving around. We have worked on it. He felt comfortable with it. It was working for him and hopefully, he will go onto get a big one.”