29 October - Pune - Sri Lanka Assistant Coach Naveed Nawaz pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
We've today received news of an urgent replacement in the team. Dushmantha Chameera is stepping in due to Lahiru Kumara's injury. Could you provide some insight into this situation? As there's widespread anticipation regarding the details. With Chameera's arrival scheduled for tomorrow, is it safe to assume that he will be in the playing lineup for tomorrow's game?
[Naveed Nawaz]
Yes, Lahiru Kumara encountered an issue during his bowling practice yesterday, as he experienced discomfort in the quadriceps muscle of his left leg. This condition made it challenging for him to continue bowling. A subsequent scan conducted yesterday evening revealed a tear in the muscle. For him to return to playing cricket, a rehabilitation process spanning approximately three weeks is necessary. Given this extended recovery timeline, he won't be able to participate in the ongoing tournament. Hence, the decision was made to bring in Dushmantha as his replacement.
[Reporter]
Does that mean Chameera will play tomorrow?
[Naveed Nawaz]
Yes, there is a high chance of that happening, because we play with three [fast] bowlers.
[Reporter]
After completing training session on the Bengaluru pitch, what are your thoughts on conditions [Pune]? Additionally, could you share the plan moving forward?
[Naveed Nawaz]
This is a good pitch. In January this year, we played a T20 match against India on this pitch. I think this is a good pitch. Also, about five one-day matches have been played on this pitch recently. There have been some high-score games in those matches. So, we think that this pitch will be good and our batsmen will be able to score a lot of runs. And we think that we will be able to provide a good competition.
[Reporter:]
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have played quite often in the last one year or so, almost about 10 white ball games. Is there anything that Sri Lanka can produce something out of the box to beat them? Because both teams know each other's weaknesses and strengths.
[Naveed Nawaz:]
Yeah, obviously. We played Afghanistan quite a bit and during the Asia Cup recently as well. And we've won and lost as well. So, I would say it depends on how you go about on the day. And on a wicket like this, I think, there will be runs on this ground, I presume. And it all depends on how you go about on the day, less mistakes. And that's what we've been focusing on the last couple of weeks. And try and bring our best game in all three departments, with batting, bowling, and fielding as well. So, if things go to plan and we play a tidy game, I think there'll be - chances are going to be good for us.
[Reporter:]
You spoke about Chameera playing tomorrow. Other than that, is there any possibility of any changes in the opening?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
We have discussed and have not finalized yet. I think we'll have a final look at the wicket tomorrow morning and make a call on that.
[Reporter:]
Kusal Janith Perera scored 78 runs in one match out of five matches. He failed in the other four innings. How do you see this failure and will a player like Dimuth Karunaratne get a chance instead? I mean is he in the context of the selection?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
He is in the context of the selection. Because we used Dimuth in the Asia Cup qualifier match. And in these matches, we have Dimuth as an additional opening batsman. Kusal Janit Perera had some duties for the team. He came back to play cricket after a long time. After his shoulder injury, when he was going to play in the World Cup qualifier, he was not ready to play in it. we did not get what we expected from Kusal in those matches. But we had given him very clear instructions and we knew what kind of player Kusal was. He had the freedom to play in his usual style. But in the match against Australia, he got 75 runs, I think. Apart from that, we did not get something from him as expected. Selectors are definitely looking at Dimuth Karunaratne.
[Reporter:]
You're coming here after a good win against England. You're facing Afghanistan now. Would you find them a trickier opponent, if not tougher, than England? Because the way Afghanistan is playing, I mean, how would you rate them and the way they are playing?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
I think Afghanistan is a really good team. And for us, like I said before, every game is a tough game for us. And from the position that we are in, we are compelled to win a lot of matches from now on. So, we don't take any team lightly. We are more focused on what we can do rather than thinking about the opposition, like I've told before many times.
We plan to go out there and try and play a tidy game with less mistakes in the middle. I think that's the way to go forward and that's going to be favourable for us as well.
[Reporter:]
Anything on Lahiru's injury, how much is it going to hurt Sri Lanka's chances at going ahead in the tournament?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
Oh, well, he was the man of the match in the last game and obviously he bowled really well. So, it’s going to hurt us a little bit. But on the other hand, we are getting Dushmantha Chameera to come in. He's an experienced bowler as well. So, if he gets to play tomorrow, I think it's going to come good for us.
[Reporter:]
There has been an increasing number of Sri Lankan players facing injuries in recent times. What do you believe could be contributing to this concerning trend?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
It's a bit challenging to pinpoint the precise cause, particularly when we focus on fast bowlers who have experienced multiple injuries. In this tournament, we witnessed a series of unfortunate events involving Matheesha Pathirana. For instance, during a practice match, he was struck by a ball on his shoulder, and this incident aggravated his existing shoulder injury. A similar scenario unfolded with Dilshan Madushanka last year during the Asia Cup. He sustained a shoulder injury while fielding in a match. It appears that for fast bowlers, particularly those consistently bowling at speeds of 140-145 kmph, the risk of injury is notably high. This trend is causing concerns regarding the frequency of player injuries. Even Dushmantha Chameera had a shoulder injury. It happened in the match we played against Afghanistan in Hambantota, so I think that rather than getting injured, we should focus on speeding up the rehabilitation process of the injured players. Our primary focus lies in the rehabilitation and return of injured players to the game. Preventing injuries is not under our control, and our emphasis is on the recovery process. We are committed to expediting these procedures to ensure that players can make a swift return to cricket.
[Reporter:]
Theekshana did an excellent job against England and Bangalore. But wickets-wise, he has had a relatively quiet World Cup so far. So, what do you think is the reason for that? And now going up against Afghanistan, who trained against playing the likes of Rashid, Mujeeb etc. So, what do you think will be the challenge for Theekshana?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
His role in the team, even before this World Cup, when he played with Wanindu, together when he was bowling with him, he used to tie an end up. He is a very economical bowler and he used to close an end up for us. His 10 overs would go for very little runs. And on the other end, when Wanindu was playing, then he had the knack of picking up wickets. So, when Theekshana does the economical job, then Wanindu used to come and pick up wickets.
So, this is one of the major tournaments that he's playing for the first time without Wanindu as a bowling partner. So, I think initially there was a bit of a slight misunderstanding in the job role where he was going all out to take wickets, which is going out of his main role and going out of his zone as well.
So, in the last match we saw when Theekshana got the ball from one end, we had the fast bowlers bowling really well on the other end. So, it was very clear that, okay, his job is to close an end up so that the other bowlers would come in to play, to attack, to take wickets because runs are close from one end.
So that's what we need him to do. We need him to be economical, close and end up so that the other bowlers from the other end can sort of put pressure on the batters to take wickets. So, I believe that that's the best role that he can play in our team.
[Reporter:]
So, team had a practice session yesterday and today also there's a practice session. How's the playing condition according to you? And it's a must-win match tomorrow for both the teams. What's your comment about that?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
Well, yeah, I mean, moving forward, I mean, all the games are must-win games for us. And it's a really good, beautiful ground and a really nice pitch. So, I believe it's fair for both teams and whoever plays the best cricket tomorrow is going to have a chance.
[Reporter:]
A Sri Lankan batsman scored 1000 runs in an ODI after six years, how do you see Pathum Nishanka? In this tournament, he has scored four 50s. How do you see this player Pathum Nissanka, especially in ODI matches?
[Naveed Nawaz:]
Pathum has undoubtedly made significant strides in recent times. Over the past year, he has amassed an impressive number of runs, demonstrating substantial growth. Given his age, maturity, and game experience, it's clear that he's been learning from these experiences. As he continues to participate in competitive matches, we anticipate further development in his game. We're eager to witness him convert those 50 into centuries. But sometimes it takes a while for those things to happen. Everyone knows what kind of player Pathum is, and also knows how much hope we have. We are delighted with his performance, especially in his role as an opening batsman, which is a significant asset for our team.
Thank you