We’re to blame, says Sangakkara
After Sri Lanka T20 exit:
Julian Guyer
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said the team had no-one else to
blame but themselves after a seven-wicket World Twenty20 semi-final loss
to England here on Thursday. Last year’s losing finalists were all but
out of the game after being restricted to 128 for six, having lost their
first three wickets inside five overs after Sangakkara won the toss at
the Beausejour Stadium.
Comprehensive
England then completed a comprehensive victory with four overs to
spare as Kevin Pietersen, showing no sign of jet lag after flying back
from London following the birth of his son, finished on 42 not out.
Only Angelo Mathews, with 58, made more than 16 and the collective
failure of their top order cost Sri Lanka dear.
“In the first six overs if we’d got 40 runs with wickets in hand we
could have accelerated through the middle but we lost three wickets
early,” Sangakkara, who himself only made 16, said.
“Angelo Mathews played very well but we didn’t bat smartly today.”
Sri Lanka were particularly perplexed by the England seamers’ use of
the slow, looping bouncer.
“Everyone has those sorts of deliveries these days but it’s how you
use them that counts and I thought England did that very well,”
Sangakkara said.
Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya made just one on Thursday to
complete a poor tournament for the left-hander, who finished the World
Twenty20 with just 15 runs from six innings.
But Sangakkara refused to say whether the 40-year-old, the oldest
player at this event, had represented Sri Lanka for the last time.
Difficult period
“Unfortunately he didn’t have a great run but to his credit he stuck
with the team through a difficult period and the team stuck with him,”
Sangakkara said.
“He showed a lot of support and we made sure he felt wanted,
unfortunately he didn’t deliver but we still had more than enough
quality to do better than we did today (Thursday).”
Sri Lanka, the 1996 World Cup winners, have punched above their
weight in international competition.
They reached the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados, losing to
Australia and in last year’s World Twenty20 in England were unbeaten
until coming up against eventual champions Pakistan at Lord’s.
“In the last World Twenty we had one bad game. It’s a question of not
getting too far ahead of yourself and sticking to your basics,”
Sangakkara said.
“We bat very well and we defend very well but to defend we need
better scores. We’ve got no one else to blame and we need to take
responsibility, both for individual performances and as a team.”
GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia, Friday AFP |