Published 19:09 IST, February 9th 2021
Muralitharan, Sangakkara roped into committee formed to boost Sri Lanka's performances
After the recent defeats against England and SA, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed a committee of former players to revive performance of the national team
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With Sri Lanka slumping through the ranks of world cricket, the country's national cricket board has roped in services of its former legendary players in a bid to bring back its prestige. After the recent defeats against England and South Africa, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed a committee of former players to revive the performance of the national team. Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara and legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan are amongst the other tasked with reviving the Lankans.
Apart from Sangakkara and Muralitharan, Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama have also been roped into the committee formed, the board announced on Friday. At present, Sri Lanka is ranked sixth in the ICC Test rankings and is also out of the race for the World Test Championship finale at the Lord's. Moreover, in ODIs the Lankans hold the eighth spot and seventh in the shortest format of the game. The island nation last won an ICC trophy in 2014 when Kumar Sangakkara & Co. clinched the T20 World Cup against India. Sangakkara had also led the Lankans into the ICC World Cup finale in 2011 which they lost against India.
Muralitharan, on the other hand, has been one of the most successful cricketers to have represented Lanka on the international level. The 48-year-old was the first to take 800 Test wickets and also held the number one spot in the ICC Test Bowlers ranking for a record period of 1,711 days. He hung up his boots in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last Test match.
England whitewash Sri Lanka
Recently, England handed Sri Lanka a 2-0 defeat in the Test series on their home soil enraging the Lankan fans following a defeat against South Africa as well. The 2-0 home series loss led to the resignation of Sri Lanka's chief selector Ashantha de Mel, who also stepped down as the team's manager. The team has failed to put up impactful performances in ODIs and Tests under Dimuth Karunaratne as the Lankans have suffered 9 defeats under his captaincy and managed to win only 4.
In the latest series that Sri Lanka played against England back home, skipper Joe Root turned out to be the wrecker-in-chief as took the Lankan bowlers to the cleaners. He smashed a double ton (228) in the first Test and 186 runs in the second game to be declared as the man of the series as England crushed Lanka 2-0 in the Test series.
19:09 IST, February 9th 2021