"We saw guys make a lot more mistakes, that happens with mental and physical fatigue" - Jayawardene on Sri Lanka's dismal 2023 World Cup campaign
Sri Lanka cricket team consultant Mahela Jayawardene addressed the nation's disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, where they ended up with only two wins to their name. The 1996 World Champions also missed out on the 2025 Champions Trophy after finishing ninth in the points table, and currently find themselves suspended by the International Cricket Committee (ICC) due to government interference.
Sri Lanka were constantly bogged down by injuries in the build-up and also over the course of their entire campaign. The likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, and Matheesha Pathirana among others were the casualties at an untimely interval.
The Sri Lankan contingent were bombarded with questions by the media upon their arrival from India. Kusal Mendis and company wrapped up their campaign with a tame loss to New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Citing poor fitness levels as one of the major reasons behind the team's poor performance, Jayawardene said:
"For me the biggest thing is the fitness. What I noticed over the course of a tournament like this, because of our fitness, the fatigue got into us, and the performance died down.”
He continued:
“From the first game to the last game, we saw guys make a lot more mistakes. That happens with mental and physical fatigue and then the execution and the concentration lacks because of that.”
Sri Lanka lost to all of their subcontinent rivals, with their only set of wins coming against the Netherlands and England. They avoided the bottom place only on the basis of net run rate and the displays of Dilshan Madushanka are arguably the sole positive they can take from the tournament.
"It's a process that we have to trust and be patient with" - Jayawardene on the current Sri Lanka squad
Sri Lanka had recently made it to the 2023 Asia Cup Final, but their decline began with the 2023 World Cup warm-up matches itself, where they lost to Bangladesh and Afghanistan. They began their campaign by conceding a record 428-run total against South Africa and later on suffered a record defeat at the hands of India as well.
Despite the alarming setbacks, Jayawardene still holds faith in the 'skillful group'. He said:
"It's a process that we have to trust and be patient with. This is a skilful group. The expectations I understand. I think the fans, they all know that when we go for a World Cup, we're going to do well, perform well. But that expectation has to be realistic, along with the plans."
Jayawardene added:
"People jumping and shouting and screaming have to realise what one-day cricket is, and how we're going to compete going forward. The plans are being set, we just need to be patient and work harder in areas where we need to improve."
The entire Sri Lanka squad barring Angelo Mathews was present for the debriefing while head coach Chris Silverwood and Mahela Jayawardene represented the coaching staff.