Kamal Ghorui
Dasun Shanaka has made an unprecedented appeal for government intervention to protect Sri Lanka players from “outside negativity” after their T20 World Cup campaign ended in disappointment, saying constant criticism was damaging the mental health of cricketers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sri Lanka’s exit was confirmed after heavy defeats to New Zealand and England in the Super Eight stage, prompting the captain to apologise to fans while also voicing frustration over the environment surrounding the team.“As players, it’s very hard for us to control the outside noise. Most of the time, we mainly hear negative stuff, so no matter how positive we are, there is a negative environment created from the outside,” Shanaka said after the loss to New Zealand.
In a rare and striking request, Shanaka urged authorities to step in for the sake of future players. “At least for the players coming up next, if the government could interfere and stop those, I believe that will be a great help for better mental health,” he said.The skipper said the criticism was hurting not just individuals but the sport itself. “That’s a disadvantage for cricket in Sri Lanka. We only have this game. Why is the negativity being spread like this? Okay, we lost a World Cup; we know the reasons.”
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Shanaka also issued a heartfelt apology to supporters for the team’s failure to deliver when it mattered most. “We feel very sorry about this. England match was also a match we could have won if we were more sensible. For the spectators, I don’t have anything to tell. We have not given them any win they can be happy about,” he said.He blamed a combination of factors, including unexpected pitch behaviour, injuries and fitness shortcomings. “Before the tournament, I expected good wickets. No one goes out there to fail; everyone goes with the intention of winning. Unfortunately, sometimes we lose from small changes we don’t even think of,” he said.Shanaka admitted fitness remained a major concern. “I don’t think the physical fitness is up to the maximum level. We had about four to five injuries, and other teams are way ahead of us in fitness,” he said, while insisting it was “not an excuse”.With his own captaincy future uncertain, Shanaka remained philosophical. “I have no idea how long I will be the captain. It’s decided by the selectors. I have made good decisions and mistakes, but I’m happy I had this opportunity.”
