Will Srilankan Cricket team ever get better?

• Date: 16 Jan 2023
• Author: Caden Fitzroy

A brief history of Srilankan cricket

Sri Lanka is a country that has produced some of the best cricketers in the world. From Muttiah Muralitharan to Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka has always been a cricketing powerhouse. But lately, the fortunes of Sri Lankan cricket have been on a downward spiral. The team’s performances have been lackluster and have seen them lose out on various tournaments and series. So, with all these issues, will Sri Lankan cricket ever get better? In this blog post, we will explore this question further and discuss what needs to be done for Sri Lanka to once again become one of the best teams in cricket.

The current state of Srilankan cricket

Since the retirement of Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka’s bowling attack has been in a sorry state. The current crop of bowlers lack the experience and quality to take wickets on a regular basis. This was evident in the recently concluded Test series against England where Sri Lanka could only manage to take 20 wickets in two matches. As a result, Sri Lanka lost the series 0-2.

The batting department hasn’t been fareing any better either. With the exception of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, none of the batsmen have been able to make consistent scores. The team’s inability to score runs was once again exposed in the Test series against England where they were bowled out for under 200 runs in both matches.

With the World Cup just around the corner, there are serious doubts whether Sri Lanka will be able to make an impact at the tournament. The team’s recent performances have been very disappointing and it is hard to see them turning things around in such a short space of time.

The current state of Srilankan cricket is not good. The team has been in decline for a while and there is no end in sight. The recent performances in Test matches have been poor and the team is now ranked seventh in the world. InOne-Day Internationals (ODIs), they are ranked eighth. This is a far cry from their glory days when they were one of the best teams in the world.

There are many reasons for the decline of Srilankan cricket. One of them is the retirement of some of their great players such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Another reason is the lack of investment in grassroots cricket. As a result, there is a lack of quality players coming through the ranks.

The current crop of Srilankan players are not good enough to take the team forward. They lack experience and quality. The only bright spot in the team at the moment is Angelo Mathews, who is a world-class batsman. However, even he has struggled to perform consistently over the past few years.

It is hard to see Srilankan cricket improving any time soon unless there are some major changes made.

Reasons for Srilankan cricket's decline

Since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, the nation’s cricket team has been in decline. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. Lack of investment in grassroots cricket

With the country still recovering from the war, there has been little investment in developing cricket at a grassroots level. This has meant that there is a shortage of quality players coming through the ranks.

2. Poor player development

Even those players who do make it into the national team often lack the necessary skills and experience to compete at the highest level. This is due to a lack of coaching and development programmes at lower levels.

3. A reliance on aging stars

The Sri Lankan team has relied too heavily on its aging stars, such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who have now retired from international cricket. These players were able to cover up for some of the team’s deficiencies but their absence has left a big hole in the side.

4. Weak domestic structure

The domestic cricket structure in Sri Lanka is also weak, with only a handful of quality teams competing in the premier league. This means that players are not being exposed to enough high-level competition to help them improve.

5. Poor governance

There have been numerous instances of poor governance within Sri Lankan cricket, which has led to a lack of stability and progress. This includes infighting

The main reason for Sri Lankan cricket's decline is the retirement of several key players. These include Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Additionally, Sri Lanka has failed to produce quality players to replace those that have retired. This has resulted in a decline in the quality of play from the national team. Another contributing factor to Sri Lanka's decline is the lack of investment in grassroots cricket development. This has led to fewer young players being developed and coming through the ranks, further weakening the national team.

1. Lack of young talent

2. Poor domestic structures

3. Financial problems

4. Political interference

Possible solutions to improve Srilankan cricket

There are many possible ways to improve Srilankan cricket. Some of these include:
-Developing a better domestic structure
-Improving player development
-Increasing investment in grassroots cricket
-Giving more opportunities to young players
-Better use of technology
-And so on…

1. Appoint a new head coach who can bring fresh ideas and implement a new strategy.

2. Invest in better quality cricketing infrastructure and facilities.

3. Create a clear pathway for young players to progress through the ranks.

4. Increase the number of competitive matches played by the national team.

5. Bring in specialist coaches to work with specific areas of the team's game.

Conclusion

The Sri Lankan cricket team is a talented side, and with the right support and determination they can improve their performance in the future. It is up to every player on the team to bring their best each and every game, while staying committed to reaching new heights as a collective unit. With better coaching and guidance, there's no doubt that Sri Lanka can become an international powerhouse in cricket once again.