Sri Lanka has had a dismal run of late in the limited-overs format. They have lost 14 back to back limited over matches, and their batting has failed miserably in most of their matches. The Sri Lankan team has been on a decline since the retirement of their batting greats Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan. They have failed to have some solidity in their batting line up. However, after a 3-0 drubbing, at the hands of India at home; Sri Lanka whitewashed Pakistan in UAE 2-0 in Test cricket.
Last month their Test match captain, Dinesh Chandimal stunned everybody with his witchcraft confession and said that the team had sought a confession from “meyni” (sorcerer) ahead of their Test series against Pakistan at their adopted home.
The Sri Lankan has now come to India for another full series which is scheduled to begin on 16th November. The Sri Lankan captain was again asked whether he had sought blessings from a “meyni” on the Indian tour to which the Sri Lankan kept mum. Team manager and former Sri Lankan batsman Gurusinha intervened and saved the captain from any further embarrassment.
The Sri Lankan cricket board axed their middle-order batsman Kusal Mendis who has had a lean match since his century against India in the second Test at SSC and has gone 13 innings without a half-century.
Gurusinha who is also a selector has backed the right-handed batsman and felt Mendis will come back stronger. Meanwhile, on witchcraft Gurusinha said:
“He (Chandimal) has answered some questions back there. In cricket, you got to get out there and perform on the field… Each player has to do that. That’s the way the Sri Lankan team believe. Yes, we have our own religious beliefs like all of you. But at the end of the day, you go there and just play.”
Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep was also dropped from the Test series due to injury but is expected to be back for the ODI series:
“We can’t take on the no 1 side with injured players. We want to give him time to build his fitness level. He will be definitely there for the ODI series and we will start from there. He’s not out of Test cricket for us. Hopefully, he will be back by Bangladesh early next year.”