In a press conference held by the Sri Lanka Cricket team today (12), Mahela Jayawardene, the coach for the high performance of the Sri Lankan team, addressed questions about the decision to field first after winning the toss at the Wankhede Stadium, responding to criticism from MP Wimal Weerawansa in the parliament.
Mahela Jayawardene began by emphasizing the difficulty of responding to parliamentary statements, stating, “There is no hope of answering the statements made in the parliament with parliamentary privileges. If they have made a mistake, they can talk about it outside and take necessary legal measures.”
Addressing the questioning of the decision to field first, Mahela explained, “After a tournament, you can talk about the shortcomings. We plan a match according to our skill, according to the behavior of the grass strip and according to the skills of the opposing team.”
He continued to discuss the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium, stating, “First, there was no fog in the Wankhede Stadium. There was no dew. The fifth match of the tournament was the one between India and us at Wanakade.”
Mahela shared insights into the decision-making process, revealing, “While practicing, the fog started coming. The mist started coming. At that time, I thought we should bat first. But with the heat we had seen, water had been put on the pitch. The streaked pitch is wet.”
He further explained the team’s strategy, saying, “India plays in a formation of six and five. With an all-rounder. We thought that if we bowled early and took three or four wickets on the humid wicket, we could get a chance.”
Mahela acknowledged the challenges faced by the team, stating, “But we have a problem, we have to play the first ten overs under lights. You want to play well. After that, nothing happens to the ball after it gets cold. It would be easy to bat.”
Reflecting on the match, he noted, “If we had put India at 250, if we had batted properly in the first 10 overs, we could have chased in the fog.”
Responding to MP Wimal Weerawansa’s questioning in Parliament, Mahela Jayawardene stated, “According to the factor, we thought it would be better if we bat earlier.”
He clarified the decision-making process, saying, “Batting early is a decision we take after discussion. I think only parliamentarians can speak inside with parliamentary privileges.”
Closing his remarks, Mahela emphasized responsibility, stating, “It’s easy to talk to many people when you make a mistake. But we have to be responsible for the decisions we have made.”
In response to the possibility of further comments from MP Wimal Weerawansa, Mahela concluded, “If he has something else to say, he can come out and say it. There is a unit in the Ministry of Sports. Even for that unit, he has the right to express that.”
