Sri Lanka focused on series putting aside past rivalry: Silverwood

Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood wants his side to be focused on the series only against Bangladesh, keeping the past bitter rivalry aside. He believes this series would help them prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

During Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in 2018, several players of the two sides engaged in verbal spat. The rivalry further sparked when Shakib Al Hasan inflicted a ‘Timed Out’ on Angelo Mathews during the World Cup last year. That further forced the relations between the two sides to take a nosedive.

“I expect this to be a very competitive series between two good sides. What happened in the past, for me, that’s history, now it’s gone. I think what we have to do is, certainly from our perspective, to concentrate on what’s in front of us. And remember what we’re aiming for,” Silverwood said.

“I mean, obviously we’re now in the buildup to what is an important competition in the World Cup. I think all teams now are sort of finalising their sides, their squads give an experience, so ultimately that’s what it is. We’re building up to a World Cup, and it’s great that we have such good competition in front of us to do that, great series to do that in. So, as I said, I’m expecting a very exciting series. There’s some dangerous players on both sides. So I think it’ll be good fun. But as I said, what’s happened in the past is history. It’s about what’s in front of us now.”

According to Silverwood, they need to keep up their recent consistency in the T20 format when they take on Bangladesh at their own den.

“To be fair, we’ve played some very good T20 cricket leading into this, so I expect that to continue. I expect us to continue to grow our game plans, continue to develop as a team and as players, and keep working hard towards that. And ultimately playing our own brand of cricket going into the World Cup, you know what I mean? We are Sri Lanka, we want to play like Sri Lankans, and that’s what we’re going to aim to do.”

Although Bangladesh of late played good cricket in T20 format, Silverwood would love to consider them as the favourites.

“Well, obviously I’m going to say Sri Lanka are going to be the favourites. But listen, as I’ve already said, there are two good teams that will both be pushing very hard to win this series. Because we’re all building up to the World Cup now; so we want to start making sure that we’re playing top cricket going into that. So as I said before, I expect this to be very competitive,” he added.

Sri Lanka will be without the service of their regular captain Wanindu Hasaranga in the first two T20 matches due to his ban. Silverwood said they are equipped to live life without Hasaranga.

“Wanindu missing two matches is something that we have to deal with. Wanindu has accepted his punishment, and all we have to do now is move on. What it does do is create opportunities for other people within the squad to get great game time. Leading into the World Cup as well, so it creates opportunity to exist as well,” he said.

“And that’s how we have to look at it. Because we’ve seen in a World Cup, and Sri Lanka have experienced it. But it’s not just the eleven on the field, it’s a whole squad that take part in the World Cup. And at any given point, they will all be called upon. So we have to make sure that everybody within that squad is ready for those games as and when they’re called upon,” he added.