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Now’s the time to prove who’s the best – Malinga

02 Jan 2019

[caption id="attachment_17195" align="aligncenter" width="746"] Sri Lanka were 2014 ICC T20 World Cup champions[/caption] The International Cricket Council on Tuesday confirmed the sides that have qualified directly for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 to be held in Australia, based on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings as on 31 December 2018. The name Sri Lanka was not in that list. Remember Sri Lanka were three-time finalist of the tournament winning it once (2014).  A good start to his captaincy, because following a 2017 in which almost everyone on the island seemed to captain Sri Lanka in ODIs, and a 2018 in which Angelo Mathews was controversially dumped from the leadership - and Dinesh Chandimal unceremoniously deposed two months later - Malinga has hopes of staying ODI captain until at least the end of the 2019 World Cup. Six-and-a-half months is not too much to ask, is it? A good start to the series, because in the last two series, against South Africa and then England, it was only after the series had been lost that Sri Lanka's batsmen began to produce big runs. And a good start to the first match, because it's in the Powerplay overs where Sri Lanka have tended to lose wickets, and by extension, the match. "Whatever the game is we need a good start - that's something we need to concentrate on," Malinga said on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand. "Our first ten overs, we have to assess conditions and build partnerships. We can then accelerate towards the end of the innings." Slow starts have also hurt Sri Lanka over the course of a series, with the team going down 3-0 against South Africa and 3-0 against England, before coming back to win the dead rubbers in each of those series last year. Partly, the belated uptick in performance was down to the opposition having fielded weaker XIs after they had secured the series. "In the last couple of series we've performed well at the end, so I think what people have to understand is that we have to perform well when the series starts," Malinga said. "We have another eight matches before the World Cup. These are very similar conditions to what we will face during the World Cup also. So it's important to get together and become familiar with the conditions." Malinga is now charged with turning around the form of one of the most modest ODI outfits that will compete in what will probably be his final World Cup. Although he has led Sri Lanka to victory in a World T20, Malinga has only come tantalisingly close to a World Cup trophy - twice playing in the final, in 2007 and 2011. The batting greats that had driven those runners-up campaigns are gone, but so has Sri Lanka's time for using those retirements as an excuse, Malinga said. "Now is not the time to rebuild. More than three years have gone since the great players have retired. The next World Cup is this year. Now we have to prove who is the best in Sri Lankan cricket. All the players are keen to do that. We'll try to start 2019 well. " (Cricinfo) ICC Media Release on 1 January 2019 The International Cricket Council on Tuesday confirmed the sides that have qualified directly for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 to be held in Australia, based on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings as on 31 December 2018. As per the qualification criteria set for the tournament, Australia and the other nine top ranked sides have ensured direct qualification. The top eight make it straight to the Super 12s stage while the remaining two will play in the group stage along with six other teams who will make it through from the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2019. Four teams from the group stage will advance to the Super 12s. Of the top 10 sides on the rankings table, top-ranked Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, the Windies and Afghanistan will start their campaign directly in in the Super 12s. Former champions and three-time finalists Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will have to contend with the other six qualifiers in the group stage of the tournament, which will be held from 18 October to 15 November 2020. Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga was disappointed at the 2014 champions not making it to the Super 12s but was confident of the team doing well in the tournament while Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan indicated that recent performances had given them belief and they would prepare well for the challenge. Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga: “It is a bit disappointing that we have not been able to ensure a direct Super 12s berth but I’m confident that we will do well in the tournament. “Having played three finals and winning once, it is natural that everyone expected us to finish in the top-eight but we have to take the opportunity in the extra matches of the group stage and prepare well for the knock-out matches. “We have some fine players in the ranks and it is only a matter of doing our best when the time comes. We look forward to challenges coming our way as we prepare for the big event.” Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan: “We have not secured a direct Super 12s berth but I’m confident that we will do well in the tournament by going through the group stage. “We are a side capable of beating the best on our day and I see no reason why we can’t go far in the tournament. There is still some time and we will use it to be at our best for the T20 World Cup. “We won a T20 series against the West Indies, the world champions, in their backward not so long ago. That performance has given us a lot of belief in our Twenty20 capabilities.” (ICC)

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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