Asalanka sees pitfalls, Jayasuriya probes pitch

By Champika Fernando

The chuckles at Charith Asalanka’s sleepy confession during the captains’ press conference on Tuesday in Dubai may have lightened the mood, but the reality facing Sri Lanka and rest of the team is no laughing matter. 

The heat, the workload and the relentless demands of international cricket are already shaping up as decisive factors in their Asia Cup campaign.

Head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, speaking to the Daily Mirror on Wednesday, was forthright in his assessment. 

“The biggest issue is the heat here, but it’s no excuse” he said. “It is very important for players to keep hydrated as much as possible and stay fit. We need to manage their workload so they do not break down during the tournament. I am not complaining and as professional cricketers we need to adjust to any situation on offer and play. It is a serious challenge.”

Jayasuriya confirmed that players had been given a free day on Tuesday to recover from travel and back-to-back cricket before returning to the nets. 

“We kicked off our training on Wednesday and we will continue over the next couple of days to acclimatise to the conditions,” Jayasuriya said. “The players are in good spirits, they know what is expected of them. I am confident they will rise to the occasion.”

As a result of the current extreme weather conditions, the organisers pushed matches back by half hour.

Sri Lanka is drawn into what many observers have already branded the ‘group of death’, alongside Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Bangladesh is first up, in a contest that has produced no shortage of spice over recent years. 

Afghanistan, armed with one of the sharpest T20 bowling arsenals, are widely tipped as dark horses. Hong Kong is the only less fancied team but in T20 cricket upsets can happen. Only two teams move into the Super Fours.

For Jayasuriya, who has seen it all as a player and now takes charge in the dugout, preparation is about fine margins. He pointed to the opening fixture between Afghanistan and Hong Kong as an early marker. “It gives us an indication how the wicket is going to behave here,” he said. 

“Batting is not easy at the start of the innings with the wicket showing some assistance to seamers, but once it settles it is easier to bat on. So it is important to assess the conditions well and bat accordingly. Having wickets in hand for a late flourish will be the key.”

It is a shrewd reading of the conditions and one that will likely shape Sri Lanka’s strategy. Retaining wickets for a charge at the back end, while coping with the searing heat in the field could be the difference between progression and elimination.

Asalanka, who steps into his first major assignment as T20 captain, has been equally candid in his own assessments. His light-hearted remark: “Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy,” brought laughter but also highlighted the brutal demands of modern cricket. Just days earlier, he had led Sri Lanka to a series victory in Harare, playing back-to-back T20 internationals on September 6 and 7 before embarking on a long haul flight to the Emirates. Within hours of arrival he was thrust into media duties and photo calls.

“I should answer this question tomorrow, I think,” he joked when asked how he was coping. “It is really hard to play back-to-back games and then travel straightaway. I think we actually need a couple of days off. I hope the coach will give us that.”

Behind the humour lies the truth. Sri Lanka, a side that thrives on rhythm, now faces the risk of burnout. “It is important to take care of our fitness. And we all know it is really hot out there,” Asalanka admitted. “For me, it is really important to stay fresh and give 100 percent in the first game.”