The three-week tour of Pakistan may not have delivered the results Sri Lanka desperately wanted, but it certainly dished out a basket of valuable lessons. Over the last two years, white-ball cricket had taken a promising upward swing, only for the last three months, Asia Cup included, to unravel much of that hard graft.

The reaction after the Asia Cup was as knee-jerk as they come. The coaching staff was swept aside. Charith Asalanka, already carrying the weight of captaincy, found himself further under the pump when former skipper Dasun Shanaka was appointed his deputy in T20s — a move that dripped with insecurity.

Granted, Sri Lanka didn’t cover themselves in glory during the Asia Cup. But the margins of defeat were wafer-thin and crucially, every loss came after a proper scrap. Asalanka’s bowling changes misfired, his batting deserted him and he ended up tightening the noose around his own neck.

Then came Pakistan, where the captain performed cricketing hara-kiri. How he failed to read the signs remains baffling. But when swagger overtakes sense, cricket has a habit of slapping you back to earth.

The ODI series was a sore point — Sri Lanka repeatedly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

The tri-nation series, however, was the real bitter pill. Having fought back admirably to reach the final, they unravelled on Saturday, paying a steep price for misreading the surface. Yes, it was a tricky pitch. But at 84 for one at the halfway stage, Kusal Mendis — with all his experience — should have known it wasn’t a 160 wicket. Instead of knocking it around and running hard, he hurled the kitchen sink and handed the opposition a gift.

The other Kusal fared no better. The most experienced batter in the side managed just one double-figure score all tour. Calls for both Kusals axing will grow louder, but Sri Lanka must play the long game. Having invested heavily in Kusals, you cannot toss them aside with a World Cup on the horizon. They must be backed, not banished.

This tour also underlined Sri Lanka’s growing dependence on Pathum Nissanka. When he fires, Sri Lanka cruise. When he misfires, the whole side looks like a wagon with a missing wheel.

Kamil Mishara was the find of the tour, producing back-to-back half-centuries and showcasing maturity beyond his years.

Veteran speedster Dushmantha Chameera was equally instrumental — striking with the new ball and delivering ice-cold overs at the death. With the World Cup looming, he must be preserved like fine china, not dragged through every fixture.

Fielding, once Sri Lanka’s brightest improvement, also took a dip. They were the standout unit at the Asia Cup, effecting run-outs and plucking catches that shifted the tide of matches. In Pakistan, that edge dulled. They must quickly figure out why the wheels came off.

by Rex Clementine ✍️