Jayasuriya confident ahead of Sri Lanka-South Africa Test series

Colombo, Nov 22 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka men's cricket coach Sanath Jayasuriya yesterday that Sri Lankan players who preparing for the upcoming Test series against South Africa are well-prepared and fully committed to giving their best, despite lacking practice matches before the series which will commence on Wednesday (27) at Kingsmead Durban.  

Ten Sri Lankan players departed for South Africa on November 11 to participate in a pre-series camp ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. Remaining players of the team departed for South Africa last night for their two-Test series against the Proteas.

The test series will commence on the 27th of November while the second test will commence on the 5th of December at St. Georges Park, Gqeberha. 

Sanath Jayasuriya spoke to the media about the preparations and challenges the team faces.

He acknowledged the challenge of playing in South Africa but emphasized that the players are well-prepared for the series.

The two-match test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship. He said that the team understands the importance of the series and the effort required to succeed.

"Since we were playing in Sri Lanka until Tuesday, most of the red-ball players, including Test captain Dananjaya de Silva, left for South Africa a few days ago for training sessions," Jayasuriya said.

Jayasuriya acknowledged that while having practice matches would have been beneficial, it was not feasible due to time constraints.

In preparation for the series, Sri Lanka has also brought in Neil McKenzie, a former South African batter, as a consultant coach. Jayasuriya said he believes McKenzie’s experience will be crucial in providing the Sri Lankan players with valuable insights into the South African wickets and bowling lengths, giving them an edge for the upcoming tests.

Regarding players who are part of both white and red-ball formats, Jayasuriya said that players like Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, and Kusal Mendis, who recently participated in the white-ball series, will need to quickly adjust to the longer format of the game. 

On the fielding front, Jayasuriya praised the efforts of fielding coach Upul Chandana, who is working hard to bring the fielding standards up to the highest level. 
While he admitted that fielding remains an area of improvement, he expressed confidence in the team’s ability to elevate their standards.

The coach also highlighted the batting improvements, particularly of Kusal Mendis, who had struggled in the past but is now showing better form. 

Jayasuriya credited batting coach Thilina Kandambi for his work in refining Mendis' technique and praised the efforts of the entire coaching staff in helping the players improve their performances.

"As a coach, I have been focused on instilling confidence in his players. I always remind them that playing for their country is a privilege, and regardless of the outcome, their 100% effort is what matters most. We have created an environment where the players can play freely,” he said.

Reflecting on his experience in the coaching role over the past five months, Jayasuriya described it as a mixture of happiness, stress, and challenges. 

He acknowledged that coaching is not easy but expressed enjoyment in the role, appreciating the full support of his staff and players.

With modern technology and data analysis playing an increasingly important role in cricket, Jayasuriya emphasized how the use of analytics helps in identifying and correcting players’ mistakes quickly. " I believe that leveraging these tools is essential for improving player performance," he said.

Meanwhile, in response to a question regarding the consistent use of a core group of players in white-ball formats, Sri Lanka's Chief Selector Upul Chandana explained that they had opted to give players a longer run in the team, allowing them to prove themselves in multiple matches, rather than rotating players frequently under pressure.