Asia Cup decimation by India could be behind Sri Lanka's huge World Cup loss to Rohit's side: Coach Nawaz
The Hindu
Sri Lanka's batting coach Naveed Nawaz conceded that the decimation in the Asia Cup final may have dented the confidence of the players, leading to another crushing defeat in the World Cup match against India. He said Sri Lanka is in a rebuilding phase with many new players still learning the trade.
Sri Lanka's decimation by India in the Asia Cup final in September could potentially have dented the confidence of the players, which led to another crushing defeat in their World Cup match against Rohit Sharma's side here on Thursday, conceded their batting coach Naveed Nawaz.
Sri Lanka could only make 50 runs in the Asia Cup final in Colombo and India overhauled the target in just the seventh over, inflicting a crushing 10-wicket defeat on the hosts.
In the World Cup match here on Thursday, India thrashed the Islanders by 302 runs after notching 357/8 and then bundling out Kusal Mendis's side for 55 runs, Sri Lanka's lowest-ever total in the tournament.
"I thought we (had) flushed (the Asia Cup loss out of our minds) and ended it. We talked about it with those guys as a playgroup, we completely removed it from their heads. We emphasised to them the importance of approaching the upcoming matches without dwelling on it (Asia Cup loss)," Nawaz said following the loss on Thursday.
"However, I think that such an incident (Asia Cup loss) could potentially affect their confidence. Otherwise, in this tournament, we haven't witnessed the ball being attacked in such a manner before. This is the first time I've seen this in this World Cup competition.
"Indeed, there is certainly a skill gap, which is why we had to participate in the World Cup qualifier matches before entering the main World Cup competition. This gap became particularly evident when we faced the top teams. Additionally, I believe there are a few shortcomings in our batting lineup," he added.
Nawaz said the Sri Lanka cricketers would benefit from a full-time psychologist.
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