Jayasuriya: 'Don't see a lack of commitment, but SL players have to tackle pressure better'

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's interim coach, wants his team to channel the criticism they have received after the T20I series loss to India to turn things around during the 50-overs leg of the tour.

"I tell them that I have been at this place too during my 20 years as a player," Jayasuriya said ahead of the first ODI in Colombo. "A lot of you have just started. You have to be able to accept this criticism, and then be able to come out and play well. If you play well the fans will love you. What they say to you is because of the hurt they are feeling, and that's temporary.

Jayasuriya said the Sri Lankan team was putting in "huge efforts" at training, and the batting collapses they suffered in all three T20Is was simply a case of things not clicking. Two nights ago, they lost 7 for 27 as India took the third T20I into the Super Over despite the hosts cruising towards their 138-run target at one stage. In the first T20I, they lost 9 for 30 after setting themselves up for victory at 140 for 1 in 14 overs while chasing 214.

Jayasuriya said it wasn't a lack of skill or commitment that led to the meltdowns. He felt his players' "cricket awareness" needed sharpening. "We have created a system where top-order batters could bat for two or three hours during training," he said. "Kamindu Mendis batted for more than 600 balls during our training. Kusal Perera batted for over 700 balls and that's quite a number of overs.

"I don't see a lack of commitment, but they have got to tackle pressure better. Their cricket awareness also needs sharpening. We are taking the responsibility; you can't go away from that. As long as they realise that, and make sure that, we'll have to keep giving them the confidence and support."

Jayasuriya elaborated on the "cricket awareness" aspect by citing how it was acceptable to not be a six-hitting team.

"When you talk about power hitting, I don't think you need that much," Jayasuriya said. "If you hit enough fours and enough twos, you get the total that you need. The [Sri Lankan] grounds are a little bigger. There's no reason why you can't hit boundaries, or twos, or threes. If you can do that, you can get by without hitting so many sixes."

Jayasuriya also backed new captain Charith Asalanka to come good, while underlining the importance of giving him time to settle into the new role before being judged. Since his debut in 2021, Asalanka has risen to become one of Sri Lanka's more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of almost 90 across 52 innings.

"Charith Asalanka is one of our best players in this format, and we need to remember that," Jayasuriya said. "But when you get the captaincy, there is some pressure. I've been there too. You have got to give them a little time in that position.

"There are ten more players in the side, and 16 in the squad. We all have to get together and give him the confidence too. At any moment, the captain could click. Charith Asalanka is someone who works really hard. He's very professional and communicates well."

The Sri Lanka players have been hit by injuries and illnesses in the lead-up to the ODI series. The list is rather long - Binura Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara are all unavailable.

"We have brought Pramod Madushan into our squad," Jayasuriya said. "There's also a viral flu in the team and we need to account for that. Maheesh Theekshana was sick and he recovered enough to play. Wanindu Hasaranga also had it. There were several who caught it and in the end, we even had to admit Binura Fernando to the hospital."

The absence of key players, though, is not something Jayasuriya wants to use as an excuse. He insists there's plenty to play for and has spoken to players individually about placing an emphasis on being "mentally in the right place".

"I'm interim coach and I've only got these two series, but that's not how I think," he said. "When I was playing, and even now, I hate to lose. The players who are around now know that too. When I talk to them, I tell them that fans in this country love the game, and a lot of us, including me, have brought cricket into this country to a certain place.

"I've spoken about that a lot individually with players and as a team. In terms of facilities and practice, I've tried to do as much as I can. What I want is to create a good environment so they can be mentally in the right place and can play with confidence."