Sri Lanka’s coach Nic Pothas was furious after his team’s biggest defeat in the Test cricket against India and said players should be ashamed of their selves after this innings and 239-run defeat in the Nagpur Test.
Pothas feels senior players like Angelo Mathews should analyze their performances in the recent times and come up with something special. “It is hugely disappointing because of the amount of work ethics that goes in behind the scenes. It is embarrassing. Players should be embarrassed with their own performances. Net practice means nothing if you don’t get out and put runs on the board,” he said.
Pothas further added “You can talk all that you want to and plan a lot but at the end of the day you’ve got to execute plans. As a player, your currency is runs, wickets and catches. You can do all you like but if you are not producing them, obviously there will be repercussions. That’s the world of professional sport.”
Former skipper Mathews is going through a tough time after back to back sensational years in 2014 and 2015. In his last 20 innings, he managed a mere 537 runs at an average of 26.85. “I have been only in place for six months and Angie hasn’t played a lot of Test match cricket prior to one of these games. But you can count on numbers over a period of time,” quoted by Sri Lanka’s coach. “Your numbers will tell you a pretty good story about where you stand. You can look at yourself and ask what have I done.”
Meanwhile, he believes that veteran all-rounder can sort his technical issue out after spending some time with batting coach Thilan Samaraweera. “It is tough when you are not playing continuously, especially to try and strike a rhythm when you do make a comeback. We have got Thilan Samaraweera as our batting coach with a good track record,” said former South African player.
“I am sure he will sit down with Angelo and work things out. Angelo is a quality international cricketer and he is hurting at the moment because he takes an immense amount of pride in his game. I have no doubt that with his ability he will come up with some answers. As coaches, we need to provide him with the best environment as possible in order for him to make the best chance,” Pothas concluded.
After showing intent in the first Test at Kolkata, Sri Lanka looked toothless in the second Test match against India. Now, they will play a chase game in the Delhi encounter, where they will hope to bring their spirit back to level the series.
