Cricket

Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign ended in disappointment as they failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage. Angelo Mathews, the team's most experienced player, expressed his heartfelt apology to the nation for their dismal performance.The Lankans lost both their completed matches, against South Africa and Bangladesh, and had their fixture against Nepal washed out. Their early exit marks a decade since they last reached the semi-finals of a men's T20 World Cup.Mathews acknowledged the logistical challenges faced by the team, with their group games scheduled at four different venues. However, he emphasized that these factors should not be used as excuses."We've let the entire nation down and we are really sorry because we've let ourselves down. We never expected this," Mathews said. "We came across a lot of challenges but those are not something to worry about. It's unfortunate that we didn't make the second round."Despite their elimination, Mathews stressed the importance of playing for pride in their final match against Netherlands. He warned against underestimating their opponents, citing Nepal's near-victory over South Africa."We can't take any given team lightly," Mathews said. "We saw Nepal almost beat South Africa yesterday. It's unfortunate that our Nepal game was washed out, but it is what it is. We have just one more game in the tournament and we'll play for our pride."Mathews expressed frustration over the team's inability to replicate their recent T20I series wins. He acknowledged that they had not done justice to their capabilities."That's something we regret because [with] the way we played Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh in Bangladesh, I thought we didn't do justice to our capabilities in this tournament," Mathews said. "When you come into a World Cup, you can't take any team lightly but unfortunately, the way we played against those teams just before the World Cup, and then once we came back here and the way we played, obviously the wickets were quite different but we didn't do justice to ourselves."

Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign has been marred by logistical challenges, with captain Wanindu Hasaranga and spinner Maheesh Theekshana expressing their dissatisfaction over the team's hectic travel schedule.After a disappointing 6-wicket defeat to South Africa in their tournament opener, Sri Lanka faced a grueling post-match routine. They had to rush back to their hotel in Brooklyn, pack, check out, and head to the airport for a 6 pm flight to Dallas for their next game against Bangladesh.Theekshana voiced his frustration, stating, "It's unfair for us. We have to leave every day because we're playing at four different venues. We had to wait eight hours in the airport for our flight from Miami. It's really unfair."Sri Lanka is one of only two teams in the tournament playing their first-round matches at four different venues. Theekshana revealed that the team had to cancel their training session due to travel fatigue and had to wake up at 5 am to reach the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium for their game against South Africa."We had to wake up around 5 am to come here," Theekshana said. "I think everyone will rethink about next year because I know that this year, nothing will change."Hasaranga also acknowledged the impact of the travel schedule, saying, "We had a tough time the last few days. All four games in four venues. It's hard. We didn't know anything about the conditions here."Sri Lanka's logistical challenges have added to their on-field struggles. After being bundled out for 77 against South Africa, they will need to regroup quickly for their crucial match against Bangladesh.

The Nassau County International Cricket Ground, located just outside New York City, presents unique challenges for the upcoming World Cup match between South Africa and Sri Lanka. The sandy outfield slows down the ball, while the drop-in pitch offers unpredictable bounce and seam movement.South Africa, aware of these conditions, requested a fielding session at the venue after their nets at Cantiague Park. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will visit the ground for the first time on match day, relying on observations from the warm-up game between India and Bangladesh.Sri Lanka's captain, Wanindu Hasaranga, expressed some dissatisfaction with the team's travel arrangements and the early-morning starts, which require them to arrive at the ground by 7:30 AM. The team's frequent travel, with matches in four different venues, adds to the logistical challenges.South Africa, while acknowledging the logistical hurdles, expressed appreciation for the training facilities at Cantiague Park. Captain Aiden Markram stated that they would have preferred to train at the match venue but understood the limitations.The unique conditions and logistical challenges at the Nassau County International Cricket Ground will test the adaptability and resilience of both South Africa and Sri Lanka as they prepare for their crucial World Cup encounter.