Jayawardene Addresses Sri Lanka’s Struggles in World Cup Campaign

• Jayawardene blames fitness for Sri Lanka’s ICC struggles.
• Sri Lanka finishes ninth, two wins, negative net run rate.
• Setbacks: Misses 2025 Champions Trophy, faces ICC suspension.

Former Sri Lanka captain and current consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene has attributed Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in the ICC World Cup 2023 to a glaring fitness crisis among the players.

The Islanders managed to secure only two wins out of nine matches, finishing ninth on the points table with a negative net run rate of -1.419. Jayawardene, who represented Sri Lanka in 652 international matches, emphasized the impact of poor fitness on the team’s fatigue, resulting in a decline in performance over the course of the tournament.

“For me, the biggest thing is the fitness. What I noticed over the course of a tournament like this, because of our fitness, the fatigue got into us, and the performance died down,” Jayawardene stated. “From the first game to the last game, we saw guys make a lot more mistakes. That happens with mental and physical fatigue, and then the execution and the concentration lack because of that.”

Sri Lanka’s struggles extended beyond the World Cup, as they failed to qualify for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Their last-ditch effort, relying on Australia to secure a big win against Bangladesh, fell short despite a convincing performance by the Aussies. Sri Lanka’s hope hinged on Australia’s victory to affect Bangladesh’s net run rate, but the Tigers’ resilience dashed those aspirations.

The Islanders faced numerous challenges during the World Cup, with key players ruled out of the tournament, including skipper Dasun Shanaka, leading to Kusal Mendis assuming the interim captaincy. Adding to the cricketing woes, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership with immediate effect on Friday (November 10). This suspension further compounds Sri Lanka’s predicament, raising questions about the future of their participation in international cricket.

As Sri Lanka grapples with both on-field and off-field setbacks, it remains to be seen how the cricketing nation will address these issues and work towards reclaiming its stature as a competitive force in international cricket.

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