SYDNEY, Oct 28: Sri Lanka have been grappling with injuries in the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup, with the latest being pacer Binura Fernando ruled out of the tournament, and his replacement Asitha Fernando drafted into the 15-man squad.
After a crushing seven-wicket loss to Australia at Perth on Tuesday, Sri Lanka need to get back to winning ways when the 2014 champions face New Zealand in their Group 1 match of Super 12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
With Sri Lanka in fifth place in the Group 1 point table, their assistant coach Naveed Nawaz believes the side will give themselves every chance from now onwards to reach the semi-finals of the showpiece event.
“They’re one of the top sides in the world, and we rate them pretty highly. We know coming to a World Cup and we know in a group which has Australia, New Zealand, England, Afghanistan, you know that any of the matches that you cannot take easily.”
“So, we are prepared for it, and we know exactly what we need to do if we need to put ourselves there in the semi-finals. We’re up to it, and we’ll try to play our best cricket and try to give every chance for us to get qualified into the semi-finals,” said Nawaz in the pre-match press conference.
Nawaz feels that Sydney’s reputation of being great for batting in the tournament will help Sri Lanka in Saturday’s match. “If it’s a good batting wicket and a fast outfield, obviously the runs are there for taking. I think Sydney is a very favourable venue for Sri Lanka. It has been throughout the years, and we are looking forward to this game against New Zealand.”
He also hoped for a better batting show from Sri Lanka’s misfiring middle order, with the majority of their runs from their top-order batters like Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. “If you look at all the games that we played, the top order has batted through, and there were very few overs at the end for the late order and the middle order. We need them to come out with their hands up at the right moment. Although they are short of overs, there are a very limited number of overs for them to go out there and show what they can do, I think they will come up (good).”
“There’s nothing to say that they’re out of form or they’re out of nick or anything like that, but I think when the moment arises, they’ll definitely come into the game and show us what they can do.”
Meanwhile, veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee said fast-bowling all-rounder Daryl Mitchell will be available for Saturday’s match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Mitchell, who made 208 runs in last year’s T20 World Cup, had sustained a finger fracture while batting in a practice session, resulting in him sitting out of the tri-series at home against Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as missing New Zealand’s 89-run win over Australia in the opening match of the tournament.
Though reports suggested that Mitchell, 31, was fit for New Zealand’s Super 12 match against Afghanistan, but the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground earlier this week.
“Yep, I think Daryl has come through all the tests he needs to come through from obviously suffering a broken hand a few weeks back. I think he comes back in for the side tomorrow,” said Southee in the pre-match press conference.
When asked who would come in for Mitchell in the playing eleven, Southee suggested that he would come in for Mark Chapman instead of Glenn Phillips. “I don’t think (it will be Phillips). I think it’s probably Mark Chapman the one that’s, I guess, the unlucky one who came in for Daryl in the Tri-Series against Bangladesh and Pakistan.” (IANS)
