To make sure it doesn’t come down to that, Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed ODI captain Kusal Perera indicated he would like his team to imbibe some of his values and play cricket the way he does individually.
The 30-year-old has been appointed the captain of an inexperienced Sri Lankan squad, which is missing several big names, including Angelo Mathews.
The aggressive left-hand batsman is tasked with the responsibility to revive Sri Lanka’s fortunes in the 50-over version. The Island nation is currently ninth in the ICC ODI rankings.
Sri Lanka are also under serious threat of finishing outside the top 8 sides in the ongoing ICC Super League, which would mean the embarrassment of having to play the global qualifiers to make the 2023 World Cup in India.
“We have to play fearless cricket to win matches. You can’t be fearful about losing. If you’re worried about your place, you aren’t going to give 100%. What I’m going to tell the players is to go and give it everything.”
“If we play fearlessly even when we are practicing, then you will be able to play the same way in a match. That’s what I’ve told the team. If we are fearful, we will fall even further. I’m trying to build a culture where the players have a lot of confidence,”
Perera was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Perera is known for his aggressive ways with the bat and knocks reflective of his attitude, including the 153 not out off 200 balls to help Sri Lanka pull off the 2019 Durban Test – regarded by many as one of the greatest knocks played in Test history.
“I really like to play fearless cricket personally, and that’s where my success has been,” he said. “Whenever I’ve played with fear, it hasn’t worked for me. I want everyone else to play like that. You can’t guarantee that you will go right playing this way, but the chances of things going well are greater.”
After 101 ODI matches, Perera has a fantastic strike-rate of 92.59. However, he hasn’t been a consistent performer and averages only 31.04. Talking of the same, Perera said he is hoping for the vote of confidence from Sri Lankan selectors and management to inspire positive and sustained returns at the crease.
“What the selectors told me when they appointed me was that I often get a 50 or a 60 and get out without getting to a 100. I accept that. If I score a hundred, the chances of winning the match go up. You can’t get a 100 every game, but when you get a start, you need to make sure you convert. They expect me to take that responsibility,”
he concluded.
