Sri Lanka cricket team (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: Former captain Kumar Sangakkara made no secret of his anguish after Sri Lanka crashed out of the T20 World Cup, admitting there were “a lot of injuries” and warning the nation risked falling behind unless urgent changes were made. Sri Lanka’s campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion with a heavy 61-run defeat by New Zealand in Colombo, leaving fans stunned and the cricketing fraternity searching for answers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Sangakkara captured the emotional devastation that engulfed the country and the dressing room after the dismissal on social media.
T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka bow out of tournament; Pakistan’s hopes were dashed
“There are a lot of injuries all around. The fans are devastated, disappointed and angry. The players are also hurt a lot. I’ve been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,” he wrote. He reminded the players of the responsibility that comes with national duty, adding: “This responsibility comes with the turf. It is a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people.”Sri Lanka’s exit was particularly painful as it came at home where hopes of a deep relegation were high. Having reduced New Zealand to 84/6, the hosts lost control as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie revived the innings before their batting collapsed under pressure during the chase. The defeat sealed consecutive Super Eight losses and ended their semi-final hopes.However, Sangakkara stressed that the problems go deeper than one defeat. In a strongly worded warning, he said Sri Lanka must evolve with the changing demands of modern cricket. “A lot of work needs to be done at all levels to get the course right. We can’t do the same things over and over again and expect different results when the cricketing world around us has evolved so rapidly,” he wrote.His most striking line reflected his greatest fear of the future. “We haven’t adapted and the danger is irrelevant.
