Sri Lanka’s former cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara says that while it is unfortunate that the national team recently suffered an ODI series defeat to Zimbabwe, the worst thing will be to panic at this moment and make too many changes.
Speaking about the current status of the national team, he said that the players are very talented and that Sri Lanka has some very good senior players as well as some very good younger players coming through.
“It is unfortunate that we have lost to Zimbabwe. It was an unexpected result. I thought we’d beat them easily. I think the most important thing is not to panic but to understand there are 2 years to the World Cup and to start building a side from now onwards,” he said, responding to questions from local journalists via Skype.
He said that responsibility lies with the two new captains and also with the selectors and the cricket board. “The worst thing will be to panic at this moment and try to make too many changes.”
“You must trust the players, you need to support them a lot more and keep believing in them because they’re the players that are going to do the job for us.” Sangakkara said that he does not see any lack of talent or ability in the current team.
He also said that players have to be able to perform under pressure and to get used to playing under pressure in the international arena.
“I don’t think the team has become any worse. It is just that they need proper guidance and a proper plan. And they need to be told that they are the best. They need the support, they need the backing and they need a consistent run in the side. I think if you can adjust these things and trust the players and entrust them to do their job, there is a clear pathway for us to come out of this.”
Responding to a question regarding past players getting involved to help the team, he said that there is a time and place for it
“No matter how much we love to help the game, there is a time and place for it. We can’t just come and say ‘I want to help the game so take me in’.”
He said that if too many people try to come and give their ideas that also it can be a problem.
“It is always better to allow the people who are put in place to do a job who are experts at their job to do that job and if there is anything else past players or anyone else can contribute, then when they are asked by the administrators or coaching staff or by the team then they can contribute.”
Responding to accusations by various sections regarding Charlie Austin, the manager to Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena and several other cricketers, he stated that their business ventures have nothing to do with cricket.
“Mahela and I have absolutely no shares or no part in Austin Management Limited, which is the company that manages the players.”
“We have no part in it, we don’t get paid by it, we’ve never had any shares nor would we ever take shares because that is a direct conflict of interest and that’ll be a terrible thing for anyone in the team to do,” he stressed.
“Charlie Austin, Mahela and I have a couple of other ventures which we partner in that has nothing to do with cricket,” Sangakkara said.
“Mahela and I have a business in the Ministry of Crab which is a restaurant. Charlie Austin has absolutely nothing to do with that business also. But there are a couple of others in the agriculture sector that we are part of. I think Charlie has other businesses also.”
“There is a very clear distinction that we have absolutely zero involvement not just now but since we started playing in Austin Management Limited that manages cricketers.” He reiterated that the businesses that they are involved in are absolutely not related to cricket.
