Ever since the inception of T20 cricket, one bowler has always ruled the roost when it comes to the death overs. The individual has been none other than the highly sought after Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga. The veteran pacer was the spine behind Sri Lanka’s memorable campaign in the 2014 World T20 when the Sri Lankans lifted the crown. From the domestic front as well, Malinga remains one of the most successful T20 franchise stars.
In the first T20I against Australia at Kandy, Sri Lanka were completely slaughtered by Glenn Maxwell. The hosts had absolutely no answers to Maxwell’s brilliance as the Aussies amassed the highest ever score in T20I’s, 263. In the lead-up to the second game, coach Graham Ford admitted that his side was dearly missing the injured Lasith Malinga.
“In the first T20, there were a lot of balls that were in the areas that Maxwell would want them to be in,” Ford said. “We didn’t execute properly. We didn’t have a superstar like Lasith Malinga in our attack, or someone with more experience. We’ve thought about a few ways of going about our business differently, but once again it’s about execution.” Ford went on to add how his inexperienced bowlers missed the mark.
“I was surprised by the lack of ability to stay out of trouble on a good batting wicket, which is the art of T20 bowling,” Ford said. “Some of our bowlers are very inexperienced. We, unfortunately, don’t get exposed to high-pressure T20 games that much. The competition here is played in front of no crowd at all. In comparison, ten out of the 11 Australians play the IPL, and they all play the Big Bash League. So the occasion gets to young and experienced bowlers. To practice your skills is one thing but to execute it under enormous pressure is another,” Ford added.
Ford also paid tributes to veteran Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, who bids adieu to international cricket after the second T20I. “It’s wonderful to have his energy and commitment and the vast knowledge that he passes on. It’s very sad to see such a legend of the game finally calling it a time. For me, it’s a privilege to have been involved, been able to witness his exploits first-hand. He can be extremely proud of what he has done over the years, and certainly goes down as one of the greats of the game.”