The Asia Cup began with Sri Lanka in cruise control, sweeping aside all three opponents in the group stage and sending Afghanistan packing. At that point, it looked as though the ghosts of middle-order jitters and spin struggles had been exorcised. Yet when the business end arrived, those very demons resurfaced, and with them went Sri Lanka’s hopes, knocked out with a game to spare.

The campaign all but flatlined after a limp defeat to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. The only lifeline was a mathematical miracle: Bangladesh beating India and Pakistan and Sri Lanka themselves thrashing India on net run rate. That was as likely as the dollar crashing to 200 rupees by year’s end.

Much like their botched 2023 World Cup campaign, Sri Lanka once again put too many eggs in the all-rounders’ basket and paid the price. In cricket, an all-rounder is not someone who can bowl a bit and bat a bit but someone who can win you a game outright — a Botham, an Imran, a Keith Miller; in modern times, a Stokes, a Pandya, a Marsh. To bracket Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne with that pedigree is a misnomer. They neither bowl their quota nor chip in with telling runs. Having one such player is a luxury; fielding two is a liability.

After the loss to Bangladesh, where Sri Lanka failed to defend a handy total, the think-tank belatedly sought more bowling firepower. Out went a batter, in came Chamika. But was that the best card to play? Matheesha Pathirana was indisposed, Binura Fernando offered the left-arm angle, yet was overlooked. If his fielding is too shoddy for selection, why carry him in the squad at all?

Asitha Fernando, meanwhile, has been steady as a rock in Tests and ODIs. Why he isn’t trusted in T20s defies logic. He has done the job before and for marquee events like the Asia Cup and World Cup, deserves at least a place in the frame.

The formula for success is no secret, seven frontline batters. That mix has served Sri Lanka well across formats. Straying from it has ended in tears and it is baffling that the penny still hasn’t dropped.

Kusal Janith Perera, the lone survivor from the 2014 T20 World Cup triumph, flattered to deceive. On paper, his experience should have steadied the ship in stormy waters, but when the chips were down, he failed to stand tall.

If there was a silver lining, it was the fielding, a far cry from the butter-fingered displays at the 2023 World Cup. This time, the catching and ground work were razor sharp.

With the next World Cup around the corner, soul-searching is the need of the hour. First, get the balance right. To their credit, the board roped in a Power-Hitting Coach before the Asia Cup. Such specialist expertise must become a regular thing.

The 2024 Asia Cup started with a flourish but ended with a whimper. All that remains now is a dead rubber against India, a game where pride is the only prize.

Rex Clementine in Dubai