Sri Lankan head coach says that he is confident that the players will put good performances at the World Cup

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Chris Silverwood says we're very specific about what we're trying to train

Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood said that the think-tank is focusing on specific skills during training sessions by keeping in mind the likely conditions that they could experience in the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood said that the think-tank is focusing on specific skills during training sessions by keeping in mind the likely conditions that they could experience in the T20 World Cup in Australia. 

The Sri Lankan team is traveling to Australia two weeks before their opening World Cup game against Namibia on October 16. They also had a training camp in Kandy during the last week of September.

“With the bowling we’re still working on yorkers, to make sure we can be successful on Australian wickets, to make sure we have the skills to back our plans up,”

he said in the presser.

“We have a couple of warm-up games before the Namibia game. We’ll play match scenarios amongst ourselves before that to make sure we can control the environment that we’re training in.

“We’re very specific about what we’re trying to train. For example, we did a Super Over up in Kandy, which is all in good fun, but it highlights where it can be a bit chaotic in the Super Over. It happens very quickly, and we have to make sure we keep a level head. Then the dimensions of the grounds in Australia – they have some big grounds – we’ll have to learn to cope with them. We have to make sure we get the distance right off the boundary to cut the angles down and get the guys used to doing that.”

Silverwood highlighted that there are areas that they could still work on. Sri Lanka’s great win in the Asia Cup has also raised expectations among fans. 

The Sri Lanka coach expressed that instead of taking the expectations of fans as a burden, they can use them in a positive sense. Silverwood also believed there is extraordinary kinship in the squad.

“There’s always going to be areas to improve – I think setting totals, something we did well in the final [of the Asia Cup] but something we haven’t done a great deal of,”

Silverwood said.

“So it’s something we’re going to have to think of. I tend to look at it differently. There are expectations back here at home in Sri Lanka. But I think the energy that we’re gaining off the fans is superb, and I think the boys are feeling it. I think we can use that as a real positive.

“The fact that everybody’s behind us, the nation is behind us, and we’re out there trying to bring a smile back to everybody’s faces, for me, it’s a positive. Something we can use as energy, and something we have used as energy in the dressing room already,”

he said.

“I hear a lot of people talking about how together the guys are and you can feel that from the inside as well,”

he added.

“Winning the Asia Cup was good, but it’s just one tournament. We’re not thinking about that anymore, that’s in the past. Because if we keep focusing on that then we can’t look forward and perform as we need to. In the camp [in Kandy] every player put in a good effort. I was worried that there would be some guys who’d be a bit relaxed after winning the Asia Cup, but it wasn’t like that. Everyone practiced with even more intensity than usual, and I’m confident that we can put in good performances at the World Cup.”

Two of Sri Lanka’s key fast bowlers, Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara, have been troubled by injuries in the recent past. Shanaka said that the fast-bowling duo didn’t face any issues during the camp and also bowled their share of overs. 

“Both Lahiru and Dushmantha were a part of our camp, and they both managed to complete their bowling quotas without an issue. I think they’re well prepared ahead of the World Cup.”

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