SL vs IND 2021: "The Under-19 stage is where the foundation is, India did a great job by appointing Rahul Dravid" - Aravinda de Silva
Former Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva has praised the Indian think tank for appointing Rahul Dravid as the country's Under-19 coach between 2016 and 2019. De Silva noted how the Under-19 stage is the perfect time to feed players with discipline, knowledge and strategy related matters.
Rahul Dravid has traveled to Sri Lanka as India's stand-in coach for the limited-overs series between the two teams. Following his stint as the head coach of the Indian Under-19 team, he is currently the director of cricket operations at the National Cricket Academy where he continues to mentor youngsters and players involved in the India A setup.
Aravinda de Silva divulged that he had asked Mahela Jayawardene to take up a similar role for Sri Lanka cricket but failed to convince him. Speaking on the matter, the 1996 World Cup winner stated in a media interaction facilitated by Sony:
"When Rahul was appointed as the Under-19 coach, I felt India did a great job. I’ve been trying to convince Mahela to take charge of our Under-19 team for a long time, but I was not so successful in doing so, The Under-19 stage is where the foundation is. And if you lay the foundation right, it becomes so much easier to progress from thereon because that’s where I feel you’ll be able to learn about the necessary discipline, knowledge and strategy and related matters."
Elaborating further, De Silva explained how an icon like Dravid is helping shape the careers of young Indian cricketers:
"So once you have the foundation laid by someone like Rahul, who’s himself a very disciplined individual, the right kind of knowledge and discipline required at that young age will be enforced. And of course, it’s important for them to have someone who has been their hero as their coach. That really helps these guys to progress and build their careers from thereon."
According to the latest reports, Mahela Jayawardene is set to work with the Sri Lankan Under-19 team free of charge as a consultant from October this year.
Aravinda de Silva responds to Angelo Mathews pulling out of the India series
Angelo Mathews has officially pulled out of the India series, citing personal reasons. Aravinda de Silva believes the all-rounder is dismayed by the current contract impasse between Sri Lanka Cricket and its players.
However, the former batsman feels Mathews should have handled the matter in a more "manly" way. De Silva said:
"There aren’t many years left in terms of Angelo’s future, but he could still offer a lot of things to Sri Lankan cricket, and could’ve shown his spirit and character if he had handled the situation in a manly way rather than in this manner."
Sri Lankan cricket has been in turmoil both on and off the field. Despite India selecting a much-changed side for the upcoming series, they will start as the favorites to win both the ODI and T20I series. The first ODI will be played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on 13th July.