Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka) Pre-Match Media Conference
Q. Big win for you guys yesterday. How satisfied are you with the performance of the team, particularly Pathum Nissanka and Dushmantha Chameera, and are you all looking forward for the crucial game tomorrow against Netherlands?
DASUN SHANAKA: Yeah, it was a very good game, apart from the middle overs. I think we need to have myself and Bhanu needs to kick on in this tournament, as well.
Pathum Nissanka, he really played throughout, and it was an outstanding innings. And Wanindu and Dushmantha and even Maheesh Theekshana, we know how good they are when it comes to these kinds of games. They were performing well. You saw from the time they started their careers.
We know ever since they’re playing, they’re going to perform like this, and yeah, they will perform well in tomorrow’s game, as well. We are looking forward for tomorrow’s game.
Q. As the captain, you bat some of the young players while in the midst right now. You must be pretty pleased with the way someone like Pathum is coming up with match-winning performances.
DASUN SHANAKA: Yeah, they are in the system with their game; even in the international setup they were there. As a group, you see the person, the coaching staff really supported them, as well. It’s so nice to see them performing like this.
Q. You got a couple of injury concerns; can you update on who you are getting down from Colombo?
DASUN SHANAKA: It’s not finalized yet, so still we are deciding. I think definitely two or three fast bowlers will be here soon.
Q. Coming in as Asia Cup champions, to lose the first match, and you know the possibility of not even making it to the second round, what kind of pressure was it and how did you gather around and how did you just come back?
DASUN SHANAKA: Yeah, so I think Asia Cup champions is history, so it’s just a title for us. There is no pressure at all. We just need to concentrate on our own performances and what we need to do to make sure that we get into that second round after the next game.
We know our strength. The first game we didn’t execute in that match, so we got beaten by Namibia. But we are a far better team from the team we performed in the first game.
Q. How different is it, you are playing this first round or qualifiers, so to say, for the first time. In the main round you can afford to lose one round and come back. How different is it to be in this kind of environment where every match is almost like sudden death?
DASUN SHANAKA: So coming into this series, we knew what exactly coming. Rather than playing the well-known countries, so some are different playing against these nations because we don’t know what really comes at us. Normally when we play against the Test playing nations, we know the bowlers and the combinations they play. There are right, but they just have some advantages, as well, when we play in these kind of rounds.
Q. Finally, these conditions, you must be glad to be playing in these conditions because they help your kind of bowlers.
DASUN SHANAKA: Conditions, I think our fast bowlers, they are really good, and our batsmen especially, they like the true bounce on the wicket. Conditions don’t matter a lot, but still two spinners, they are our main bowlers in the side. I think that’s the area we need to have concern.
If we can get two, three wickets from our spinners, it’s a huge plus.
Q. Just about the crowds that you’ve been getting, we can hear it’s almost like Colombo, the band playing. Just a word on them.
DASUN SHANAKA: Yeah, it’s always amazing the Sri Lankan crowd when it comes to Australia. This papare and the colour adds a different atmosphere for us. So, we like to play in Melbourne and Australia, so we really enjoy our cricket and our fans, as well.
Q. I’m not sure if you said before about the fitness of some of the players or whatever, but can you give us an idea how Chameera is going?
DASUN SHANAKA: So what I told them is he went to the scan today, so still waiting for the report. I think he will not able to play tomorrow anyway. We are waiting until the reports come.
Q. Do you know what the nature of the injury is roughly?
DASUN SHANAKA: It’s a calf injury, so I don’t know the exact medical words to tell that.
Q. Also on Danushka and Pramod, as well, how are they going?
DASUN SHANAKA: I think Danushka will be fine, also waiting from the scan, so we are waiting. Today morning only they went, so yeah, we are still waiting for that.
Q. I heard you say you’re bringing in some more fast bowlers from Sri Lanka. Do you have a number and when they will arrive?
DASUN SHANAKA: I don’t have those. There are two guys on standby. I don’t know exactly when they will arrive. We are okay through the next game, but when the tournament progresses I think we need to have a few more bowlers.