Sanath hides behind transition excuse

Sri Lanka batsman Dinesh Chandimal had said after the 90-run defeat to Bangladesh in the first ODI that the 'transition phase' excuse cannot be used anymore to explain away the home team's failures as they have been in that zone for the last two years.

It has been two years since the first of the duo of greats, Mahela Jayawardene, retired from the ODI format. Arguably the greatest Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara had called time a year and a half ago and Tillakaratne Dilshan, another senior albeit of lesser influence, retired in August 2016.

Contrary to what Chandimal said however, Sri Lanka Cricket chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya seemed to stick with the transition phase argument at noon yesterday, during the hosts' practice session. 

“We are in Sri Lanka cricket's trial session period,” the legendary former opener, nicknamed the Matara Hurricane, said. “We are trying out youngsters for the last seven-eight months after all our senior cricketers retired. So it will be a little up and down.”

Having given this answer, he seemed as short of explanations as everyone else in Sri Lanka's cricket structure when asked what the difference between the two teams was, stopping short of saying 'everything'.

“The Bangladeshis are getting runs on the board. We are not, so we need to get runs on the board; then there will be no difference. We need to field well and we need to bowl well.

“There have been some really positive things from Bangladesh. As a batting unit, as a bowling unit and as a fielding unit they've been doing well. They're batting well; their experienced players are there, the top four batsmen are getting runs. That's the key. That's what we want.”

If Sri Lanka are planning on doing what their opponents are doing, they will want to do it soon, as a loss today may bring them nearer to the end of the rope.