Latest News
‘Team audit’ done, Kirsten hopes Sri Lanka keep ‘progressing and improving’
When Gary Kirsten coached India to ODI World Cup glory in 2011, 20 million Sri Lankan hearts were shattered. Now, as Sri Lanka’s new head coach, his mission is to mend them.
In a wide-ranging Q&A session with the local media, his first since being appointed last month for two years – officially from April 14 – Kirsten laid out the roadmap as he sought to blend data-driven modernisation with the island’s cricketing DNA.
Kirsten’s first week has been defined by a comprehensive “team audit”. While Sri Lanka has never lacked for talent in the game, Kirsten believes the discrepancy between that talent and the team’s current world rankings don’t “match up”.
“The formula – we will progress as we go along,” he said. “I have certainly been spending the first week doing a bit of a team audit, just to get to understand where everyone is at. You can’t only rely on talent. You need a good work ethic and a good attitude.”
To broaden this audit, Kirsten is already looking at the next generation, confirming plans to head down to Galle immediately to watch the ‘A’ team in action against New Zealand A.
“I am quite excited just to see all the players and what talent is out there,” he said, adding that his vision for a “balanced outfit” extended well beyond the current senior squad. This also goes along with a desire to build more squad depth, to aid with player workload management.
“For me, what’s important around that is that we have a lot of depth in the group across the different formats. So you are able to rotate players when you need to. You can’t expect one guy just to be playing all the time. He’ll blow up quite quickly.”
Having begun his coaching career in 2008, Kirsten’s coaching style has evolved significantly over the years, including several seasons spent on the franchise circuit. In this time, he has moved away from a “top-down” approach to coaching, with the growing realisation that the modern player is now highly informed and resistant to being told what to do without objective evidence.
“The modern player often doesn’t listen to a ‘we’ll-tell-you-what-to-do’ approach because he’s got a strong argument to tell you otherwise,” Kirsten said, with his solution to this being to present “compelling arguments” backed by data.
He pointed to a specific metric – the number of ODI hundreds Sri Lanka have scored over their last 30 matches – as an example. Despite having played 100 ODIs since the start of 2020 – more than any other Full Member, with India (91), New Zealand (83) and Australia (80) behind – Sri Lanka have just 25 ODI hundreds. In comparison, India have 38, New Zealand have 35, and Australia 32.
“I just looked at where they are ranked in the world,” Kirsten said. “If you present it in a good way to the players and it’s compelling, you’ll get movement.”
In terms of player selection, while acknowledging that the information derived from the data would be “weighted massively”, Kirsten is cognisant of the fact that big-game players might sometimes appear outside of the data – though that is something that will “take time” for him to identify.
“I think the next component to that is every team needs individuals in the team that are willing to step up and make those hard performances when the team needs it,” he said. “And each team, when you’ve got a good group of those guys, they win games out of nowhere and perform when you really need it. Those are the individuals I’m really excited by. Now that’s going to take time for me to understand and learn.”
Talking about the rise of global T20 leagues, Kirsten was pragmatic. With several Sri Lankan players involved in major leagues, he viewed match-readiness as superior to training-camp drills – even if that meant that he wouldn’t be able to work with his full allotment of players until much closer to the start of Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in June.
“We’ll probably have the full complement of players available just two or three days before their first ODI,” Kirsten said. “So it’s not an easy thing, but we do what we can. And you try and adapt because that’s what international cricket requires. To be honest with you, I prefer guys to be in competition and playing matches. I always think that’s the best form of preparation that you can have. So to have a group of players that are match-ready by the time we play the first ODI against West Indies, I’m happy with it.
“In fact, in all the coaching opportunities that I’ve had around the world, I’ve generally had about ten days’ prep before we play the first game. So this time I’ve got six weeks. That’s pretty cool.”
On the topic of fitness protocols, Kirsten offered a performance-based defence of the current standards, reframing them as a “tool for availability” so as to ensure key players remain match-fit. Sri Lanka lost all three of Eshan Malinga, Matheesha Pathirana and Wanidu Hasarnga at different points across the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Kirsten also effectively ended any debate on whether the requirements were too harsh. “Fitness is about keeping people on the field for as long as possible. You don’t want to have injuries where, in an important match, guys are not available. And as I understand in Sri Lankan cricket, there are protocols in place. And players have got to reach pretty standard levels, to be honest with you. I don’t think that the fitness protocols are too hard on the players. Certainly, your basic and standard levels.”
With approximately 20-25 ODIs remaining before the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa, Kirsten is already reverse-engineering the squad for those specific conditions. His native South Africa, especially, demands a different brand of cricket, and he is looking for a very specific set of skills.
“It’s going to be very different conditions to what a lot of the guys are used to, so how do plan for that? It’s about making sure all our bases are covered in the skillsets of the team,” Kirsten said. “Do we have guys with great air speed? Do we have guys that can swing the ball? Do we have guys that can bowl with bounce? Do you have top spinners? And do you have six batters who can bat on those kind of conditions?”
As Kirsten prepared to immerse himself in his new country of work – literally, with plans to cycle around the entire island – the South African knows that results in the interim will continue to matter as the World Cup build-up carries on.
“Results count, we can’t hide from that,” he said. “Every series we play going into the World Cup, we want to give a good account of ourselves. We’ll be aiming at progressing and improving as we get closer.”
[Cricinfo]
Harshitha Samarawickrema’s splendid 48 not out off 37 balls took Sri Lanka over the line in a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh. The defending champions secured a semi-final berth with a four-wicket win, and by virtue of topping Group B, will play the side that finishes second in Group A on Friday.
An excellent opening spell of 2 for 17 from Marufa Akter put Bangladesh in firm control of the match after they posted a below-par target of 115, thanks to Chamudi Prabodha’s career-best figures of 3 for 21.
Sri Lanka found themselves behind the required run rate for much of the chase after losing their top order inside the powerplay and slipping to five down by the tenth over. But a resolute Samarawickrama brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by absorbing the pressure throughout the middle overs before landing the final punches to seal the win. This was Sri Lanka’s seventh consecutive win over Bangladesh.
Praboda strangles Bangladesh
This was only the sixth international match the 17-year-old left-arm spinner had played after making her debut against Pakistan in a three-match T20I series last month, and she doubled her tally of wickets on Sunday.
As Bangladesh looked to rebuild after Juairiya Ferdous fell in the fifth over, Praboda struck in her first over, the seventh of the match, to send the dangerous-looking Dilara Akter back to the hut two balls after being hit for a boundary by her. Dilara made a run-a-ball 26 after adjusting to the slow surface. She made her attacking intent known in the third over when she dispatched three consecutive balls from Sri Lanka pacer Chethana Vimukthi for boundaries.
Praboda and the other Sri Lankan spinners bowled with great discipline and used their variations with great guile to put a stranglehold on the Bangladesh batters, who managed just 114 for 8.
With Sobhana Mostary (34 off 41) and Shorna Akter (9 off 14) stretching their steady 41-run stand into the death overs, the Bangladesh dugout must have anticipated a much bigger total than what they eventually managed. Their hopes were bulldozed by Praboda in her last over as she accounted for both batters inside three balls. The left-arm spinner bamboozled Mostary with flight to have her stumped before drawing Dilara into chipping a tossed-up delivery back to her.
An unlucky outing for Athapaththu
Nilakshi Silva and Vimukthi dropped sitters off Chamari Athapaththu’s bowling, with the former putting down Mostary in the 14th over. Athapaththu eventually got a wicket in her last over, but missed out on a second when on-field umpire Humaira Farah turned down a clear caught-behind appeal off the last ball of her spell.
During the chase, her stay at the crease lasted only two balls, as Fahima Khatun took a sharp catch at first slip when she advanced down the pitch to smash Marufa over the top of her head. That shot, on any other day, would have landed in the stands, as is often the case when Athapaththu charges at the bowlers.
Marufa turns a straightforward chase into a contest
Bangladesh needed early wickets to make a contest of what many expected to be a cakewalk for Sri Lanka, with the required rate below a run-a-ball at the start of the chase. Marufa delivered exactly what was needed, accounting for both Sri Lankan openers.
Marufa had Athapaththu caught at first slip off the last ball of the first over before bowling a jaffa in her next over, rattling Imesha Dulani’s stumps with one that ripped through the gate. Her three powerplay overs yielded 2 for 17.
Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under pressure as Sanjana Kavindi was bowled by Sultana Khatun off the last ball of the powerplay. They were soon five down for 44 in the tenth over, but a gutsy 38-run stand between Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva brought them back into the contest and threatened to take the game away from Bangladesh.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana returned to her trump card in the 17th over, and Marufa obliged with a perfect over to shift the momentum back in her side’s favour. The seamer bowled Silva and conceded only four runs to finish with career-best T20I figures of 3 for 21. It was the fourth time in her 48-match T20I career that she had taken three wickets in the format.
Samarawickrama finishes the job
Ritu Moni had been immaculate in her first three overs, but Samarawickrama plundered 16 runs off her last over – the most conceded in an over in the match – to swing the game in Sri Lanka’s favour.
A lucky inside edge off the second ball raced to the fine-leg boundary as Moni followed Samarawickrama after she backed away to make room on the off side. The next ball landed straight into the advertising cushion at midwicket as the batter swept the medium pacer for six. She then danced down the wicket to launch Nahida Akter for a towering six down the ground, reducing the equation to two off the final over.
The win came off the second ball of the final over, with the ball trickling past the keeper after brushing her pad.
Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 115 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Imesha Dulani 12, Harshitha Samarawickrama 48*, Nilakshika Silva 18, Kaushini Nuthyangana 11*; Marufa Akter 3-21, Sultana Khatun 1-14, Ritu Moni 1-29) beat Bangladesh Women 114 for 8 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 26, Juairia Ferdous 14, Solbhana Mostary 34, Fahima Khatun 14; Sugandika Kumari 2-22, Chamari Athapaththu 1-20, Chamudi Praboda 3-21, Kavisha Dilhari 1-17) by four wickets
[Cricinfo]
Pakistan were bowled out for 55, their lowest total in T20I cricke. A collapse where they lost six wickets for eight runs in 29 balls set them so far back that they couldn’t even bat out 20 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur, who broke new ground by becoming the first player – male or female – to lead her team 150 times in T20Is, had the time of her life celebrating each wicket and eventually scoring the winning runs as well.
Shree Charani shines
Old-fashioned left-arm spin is having a resurgence. India men have found Manav Suthar. India women already had N Shree Charanin. The No. 1-ranked T20I bowler in the world picked up two wickets in her first over on Saturday.
The flight on the ball drew Gull Feroza out of her crease. The drift in had her looking leg side. The dip and the turn resulted in a leading edge and a simple catch to point. The bowler did everything right. The batter did everything wrong. Shawaal Zulfiqar was the only Pakistan batter to put any kind of pressure on India. Charani had her lbw for 14 off 14 and from there it was a procession.
Pakistan’s batting troubles
Playing their 200th T20I, Pakistan went from 27 for 0 to 35 for 6 before the innings was halfway done. They could not find a risk-free way to score runs, absorbing long periods of dot balls and trying to get out of it by playing low-percentage shots, often against the turn, on a Dubai pitch that was offering plenty of it. Only the openers got to double digits and only Zulfiqar was able to score a run a ball.
Rawat’s support act
Prema Rawat finished with figures of 4-0-9-3. Nineteen of her 24 balls were dots. All of that is remarkable considering she is a legspinner, whose release points tend to be just shy of the perpendicular. Like Shane Warne. From there, they turn their wrist over and it can either be awesome or awful. Rawat’s release point is perpendicular, maybe even beyond it, like Rashid Khan’s. And she doesn’t turn her wrist. For the most part, she just flicks the ball out the front of her hand. This gives her better control at the cost of big turn and in T20Is, that trade-off is well worth it. Nobody could hit Rawat off her line and length and when Sadaf Shamas tried, she got bowled off her pads.
A simple enough chase
Scores:
India Women 57 for 3 in 8.4 overs (Shafali Verma 12, Harmanpreet Kaur 18*, Deepti Sharma 12*; Fatima Sana 3-17) beat Pakistan Women in 18.1 overs 55 (Muneesha Ali 13, Shawal Zulfiqar 14, Shafali Verma 1-10, Shree Charani 3-07, Deepti Sharma 2-05, Prema Rawat 3-09) by seven wickets
(Cricinfo)
Latest News
Sun directly overhead Bentota, Thiniyawala, Iththakanda, Udawalawe, and Kataragama about 12.08 noon t9day (06)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is
overhead today (06) are Bentota, Thiniyawala, Iththakanda, Udawalawe, and Kataragama about 12.08 noon
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the Uva and Eastern provinces.
Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth
‘Choka Malli’ slips out of country before travel ban
Dengue death toll rises to 73
Ranil accuses govt. of undermining democracy
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News5 days agoDenied of promotion to SC despite vacancies, justice Gurusinghe retires
-
Latest News5 days agoGrade 5 scholarship exam results released
-
News5 days ago22A: SC urged to suspend hearing, appoint full bench
-
Midweek Review6 days agoThe local and global dynamics of Sri Lanka’s 22nd Amendment
-
News3 days agoNamal remanded until Sept. 18 over Airbus deal investigation
-
News5 days agoGovt. seeks NATO assistance
-
Latest News2 days agoTharanga creates history with Diamond League crown in Brussels
-
News6 days ago40 professional organisations and TU oppose proposed 22A