'Game would have lost without them' - Kusal Mendis expresses gratitude to Sri Lankan fans for unconditional support
“If not for our cricket fans the game would not get anywhere. It would be lost. It is the binding force of the crowds that have influenced the game of cricket in this country," he said.
Sri Lanka’s ODI captain Kusal Mendis believes that cricket would have been lost in Sri Lanka if it wasn’t for the fans' support. After the retirement of legendary cricketers like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga and a few others, Sri Lanka struggled massively in all three formats of the game. They struggled on the financial front as well and it resulted in their poor performances in the global tournaments.
However, a new group has brought Sri Lanka back to a respectable position in the cricket world, with the likes of Kusal Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanka, Charith Asalanka, Matheesa Pathirana helping them get gain their lost reputation. Under the leadership of Shanka, the Lanka Lions won the Asia Cup in 2022 and the ODI World Cup qualifiers in 2023.
Reflecting upon their recent success, Mendis noted the role that fans played in keeping the ship sailing. He added that their influence and continuous support will take Sri Lanka back to the top once again.
“If not for our cricket fans the game would not get anywhere. It would be lost. It is the binding force of the crowds that have influenced the game of cricket in this country for so long and I believe their continuous support will count in our going places,” Mendis was quoted as saying by Sri Lanka Cricket.
The top-order batter is also keeping an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin in June in the West Indies and the USA. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka won the first T20I of the series against Zimbabwe under the leadership of Wanindu Hasaranga, which has given the team some much-needed confidence. However, there still remains a lot of room for improvement for them ahead of the marquee event in June.
Addressing that, Mendis stated that there are 20 players in the pool at the moment and they are working towards gelling well to produce a good result not only in the T20 World Cup 2024 but for the next one as well.
“I believe by now we have a set number of 20 players in place to work with for the future with the T20 World Cup five months hence, and the next world cup 4 years hence, and that Wanindu (Hasarnga) and myself will be able to gel our respective teams into the right mix in time to come,” Mendis said.
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