TWO TEAMS IN TRANSITION, READY TO FLEX THEIR MUSCLES
AHaving conceded a Test series to Pakistan and India, which resulted in head coach Marvan Attapattu quiting just a year into his appointment, largely due to atrocious batting, the team has made a conscious effort during the past few months to get their technique right.
“If you look at our team, we have been pretty good in our bowling in the last few series and it was batting that let us down badly. So we have been putting lot of hard work in the nets during the last few weeks to get things right,” said Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews at a press conference to launch the series.
“It will be an interesting series as both teams are in a bit of a transition.” Mathews added.
With Atapattu retired hurt, Jerome Jayaratne, the head of the Sri Lanka Cricket coaching department, will not only shoulder the burden of getting the misfiring batsmen to strike form but getting “Asia’s worst fielding side” to get back their rhythm.
“We will certainly be better than where we were few weeks back which is primarily because of a lack of fitness but it will take few more months to get to where we want to be,” said Jayaratne, the interim coach.
For the West Indies, the suspension of their coach Phil Simmons for his comments on selection policy is a huge drawback, but their new skipper Jason Holder is confident his young guns will fire all cylinders to outsmart their transiting hosts. The series is sponsored by Jat Holdings. n enthralling cricket series is on the cards, weather permitting, as Sri Lanka and West Indies--two teams in transition--flex their muscles in two Tests, three ODI’s and two T20’s a week from now.
The teams meeting for the first time since 2010-2011. That time, the rains had the last laugh. It might be no different this time with showers predicted for the most part of October.
But the sides have done their homework and are ready to battle it out for the Sober’s-Tissera Trophy which is named after two cricketers of yesteryear, Sir Garfield Sobers and Michael Tissera.