Using this time to reflect and recalibrate: SL coach Mickey Arthur

Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur is utilising the forced break from cricket to reflect on his three-month tenure and recalibrate future plans for the team.

The novel coronavirus outbreak, which has led to almost 70,000 deaths globally, has caused a collapse of sports events worldwide and the time off gives Arthur and his coaching staff the opportunity to introspect.

"We are using this time to reflect on the first 3 months of our tenure and recalibrate our individual and team plans going forward to the very important series that we have coming up later in the year," Arthur told Sri Lanka Cricket.

"We have been very happy with the improvement and willingness from the players to buy into the structure, work ethic, levels of preparation and goals that we have set the team in all formats," he added.

As governments all over the world are calling for social-distancing, Arthur and his coaching staff are studying trends and analyzing their opposition.

"This isolation period is giving us as coaching staff a time to reflect as well on the player plans, roles and goals that we have set for ourselves as a group."

"We are also looking at trends from around the world and analyzing all the opposition that we are going to play against over the next year."

With sporting activities coming to a standstill, players are confined to their homes and Arthur is handing out tailored workouts to ensure his side remains physically and mentally fit when the on-field action resumes.

"The players all have individual fitness plans to keep them up to speed with their levels of fitness, these plans are tailored to the facilities that each player has at his disposal at home to maintain the expected fitness levels."

"Our trainers Dilshan Fonseka and Paul Khoury have been very proactive in working out the programs with each individual."

"These reflections are mental, physical and technical. This allows us as coaches to then add this to the player plans that we have constructed for each player."

Sri Lanka were forced to cancel their home Test series against England without playing a single match.

"It was really disappointing not playing the Test series against England although this will be played at a later date. I felt that our test team grew so much on our tour of Zimbabwe.

"The Zimbabwe tour was very tough and we had to play very disciplined cricket to win the series because of the conditions that we were presented with over there."

Arthur also hoped that the momentum his team gained after winning the series against Zimbabwe is not lost due to the unexpected break.

(Image - AP)