There was too much external negativity around the team, the pitches were too bowler-friendly, and fitness issues for key players were major issues that helped bring Sri Lanka’s downfall, said captain Dasun Shanaka.
Sri Lanka became the first team to be eliminated from semi-final contention when they were humbled by 61 runs in front of a packed R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo yesterday (25).
Sri Lanka had faced significant public criticism in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, having had largely poor results in limited-overs formats since the middle of last year.
“A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things,” Skipper Shanaka said. “No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. That’s a big loss for Sri Lankan cricket. This is the only sport we have, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium you’ll see how many people are standing outside with mics, and people will say stuff without having watched the match.”
With Sri Lanka now having lost successive matches to Zimbabwe, England, and New Zealand to crash out of the T20 World Cup, criticism is likely to again intensify significantly.
Shanaka said the ‘negativity’ the team faced had become so severe, that perhaps the country’s government should intervene to protect future generations of players.
“Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns. More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore. We will play and leave, but for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity] that’s better for their mental health.”
Shanaka conceded he and the team management had misread the Premadasa surface, which he did not expect to take so much spin from so early on. Sri Lanka lost six of their wickets to New Zealand’s spinners, as they limped to 107 for 8.
Shanaka believed that the pitches Sri Lanka have played on at this World Cup could have been more batting-friendly. He had made complaints about the spin-friendly nature of Sri Lanka decks, even before the tournament.
“I said before the start of the tournament that I expected the wickets to be good for batting. Sri Lanka’s best batters are here. We’ve picked players who have good domestic strike-rates and ability. No one is here by force.
“Sometimes we don’t get the conditions we want, and we lose matches in unexpected ways. We’re very sad about what has happened.”
Sri Lanka also lost two bowlers within the course of the tournament, and one just before.
All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga strained a hamstring in Sri Lanka’s first match, before fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana strained a calf muscle in the match against Australia. Seamer Eshan Malinga was ruled out before the World Cup as well.
“You’ve also got to make fitness non-negotiable,” Shanaka said. “When you have the number of injuries we’ve had, it’s hard to get a good outcome. Wanindu Hasaranga is such a key player for us. We also know how important Matheesha Pathirana is. Eshan Malinga was injured as well. Your fitness level influences your injuries. There are some players who can’t even get into the team because of fitness issues. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot over several World Cups now.”
Captain Dasun Shanaka did also apologise to Sri Lanka’s fans, who have come to watch the team in numbers in Colombo and Kandy.
“The team is always trying to perform, especially in a World Cup, and I don’t think anyone here will be able to play in a World Cup in Sri Lanka again,” Shanaka said. “Everyone had the desire to get into a semi-final. We all had that desire. But we didn’t do justice to the expectations. We couldn’t give fans what we wanted. For that we’re sorry.”
(With agencies inputs)
