Former Sri Lanka captain and legendary cricketer, Aravinda De Silva was seen showering praises at former Indian skipper, Rahul Dravid and said India did a great job by appointing him as U-19 coach. Rahul Dravid is the head coach of the Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian team that will play three ODIs and as many T20Is against the Lankans in Colombo starting July 13.
During a recent chat with the Telegraph, Aravinda de Silva said, “The U-19 stage is where the foundation is. And if you lay the foundation right, it becomes so much easier to progress from thereon because that’s where I feel you’ll be able to learn about the necessary discipline, knowledge and strategy and related matters.”
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He further added, “So once you have the foundation laid by someone like Rahul, who’s himself a very disciplined individual, the right kind of knowledge and discipline required at that young age will be enforced. And of course, it’s important for them to have someone who has been their hero as their coach. That really helps these guys to progress and build their careers from thereon.”
Aravinda De Silva, who is also the chairman of the SLC cricket committee, said he is tried to convince Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene to become the coach of Sri Lanka’s U-19 side.
De Silva explained, “When Rahul was appointed as the U-19 coach, I felt India did a great job. I’ve been trying to convince Mahela to take charge of our U-19 team for a long time, but I was not so successful in doing so.”
Aravinda de Silva is not at all on the same page with his former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga regarding the visiting Indian team being ‘second-string.’
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Describing the same, Aravinda de Silva said, “Personally, I think any side could make a change and play exciting cricket. India has an enormous amount of talent going around at the moment. And no way can you call any side second string. “If you look at the situation worldwide, there’s rotation happening. Besides, being in the bubble is very challenging, especially for the youngsters.”
