Galle [Sri Lanka], June 16 : After South Africa broke the jinx and scripted a historic win in the World Test Championship final against Australia, Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva reminded his troops that it could have been them fighting for the coveted mace at Lord's as the new WTC cycle is on the horizon.
Sri Lanka had a decent shot at punching their tickets to London for the WTC 2023-25 final at the 'Home of Cricket', requiring three wins out of their last four fixtures. They had two away fixtures against South Africa and as many home contests against Australia.
When victory was the need of the hour, Sri Lanka lost all of its last four games, some brutally, and finished sixth in the WTC standings. This time around, de Silva doesn't want to leave any stone unturned as they embark on the quest for the WTC final yet again with two home Tests against Bangladesh.
"We had a big chance to get to the final, but unfortunately, we couldn't do it. Even yesterday, when I talked to the boys, I reminded them where we could have been (at Lord's this week), and where we ended up. As we start a new cycle, we know we have to win our home series. We need to pick up all those points. It's a great opportunity to start a new cycle with a home series," de Silva said on the eve of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Among the problems Sri Lanka will encounter is that their WTC schedule is scant and unsteady. After the conclusion of the two Tests, Sri Lanka, who will play a total of 12 fixtures, will play their next contest in mid-2026, almost a year after their last appearance in the format.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, two experienced stars who were pivotal to the limited success Sri Lanka enjoyed, retired earlier this year. Despite the setbacks and challenges, the Sri Lankan captain wants his side to focus on winning what lies ahead of them.
"Our job as professionals is to adapt to any situation. We have to play the situations we're given - we can't blame anyone. Last year, we got a few Tests, but this year, we didn't, and that's not something that is in our hands," he said.
Sri Lanka handpicked six uncapped players in the 18-player squad based on their impressive domestic performances for the two Tests that will mark the beginning of the new WTC cycle.
"We need to prepare for the situations that we do get. We've had a good National Super League (Sri Lanka's premier first-class tournament) recently, and we've had good preparation through that. We've also identified a few good youngsters through that. We're looking to embark on this next journey with them," he added.
Sri Lanka squad for Bangldesh Tests: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Tharindu Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Akila Dananjaya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara.