Sri Lanka needs to devise method to win T20 games ahead of WC: Coach Arthur

Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur feels the T20 squad needs some adjustments and a method to win games, ahead of the World Cup later this year.

"Our T20 side is still going to take some fine-tuning and this was amplified against a very strong West Indies team that simply had too much power for us," Arthur said in a chat with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) media unit.

"I think the most important thing is building a method to win games based on the resources that you have at your disposal and then making sure that the players are under no illusion as to what that method is based on our strengths," he said.

Sri Lanka will be looking to add another World T20 title to their kitty after winning it in 2014.

Sri Lanka lost to West Indies in two Twenty20 Internationals last month.

Arthur took over the reins in December and his toughest test yet awaited in a two-match home series against England, but that was called off last month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It was really disappointing not playing the Test series against England although this will be played at a later date," said Arthur, who has also coached South Africa, Australia and Pakistan.

"We had just worked out a brand that we knew would be successful against all teams, and I just hope that the momentum that we had built up will not be lost with our Test team when we start up again," he said.

"We have some very realistic goals with our Test team and believe that we have now the players and gameplans to have success both at home and abroad in the future."
 

Using this time to reflect and recalibrate: Mickey Arthur

Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur is utilising the forced break from cricket to reflect on his three-month tenure and recalibrate future plans for the team.

The novel cornavirus outbreak, which has led to almost 70,000 deaths globally, has caused a collapse of sports events worldwide and the time off gives Arthur and his coaching staff the opportunity to introspect.

"We are using this time to reflect on the first 3 months of our tenure and recalibrate our individual and team plans going forward to the very important series that we have coming up later in the year," Arthur told Sri Lanka Cricket.

"We have been very happy with the improvement and willingness from the players to buy into the structure, work ethic, levels of preparation and goals that we have set the team in all formats," he added.

As governments all over the world are calling for social-distancing, Arthur and his coaching staff are studying trends and analyzing their opposition.

"This isolation period is giving us as coaching staff a time to reflect as well on the player plans, roles and goals that we have set for ourselves as a group."

"We are also looking at trends from around the world and analyzing all the opposition that we are going to play against over the next year."

With sporting activities coming to a standstill, players are confined to their homes and Arthur is handing out tailored workouts to ensure his side remains physically and mentally fit when the on field action resumes.

"The players all have individual fitness plans to keep them up to speed with their levels of fitness, these plans are tailored to the facilities that each player has at his disposal at home to maintain the expected fitness levels."

"Our trainers Dishan Foneska and Paul Khoury have been very proactive in working out the programs with each individual."

"These reflections are mental, physical and technical. This allows us as coaches to then add this to the player plans that we have constructed for each player."

Sri lanka were forced to cancel their home Test series against England without playing a single match.

"It was really disappointing not playing the Test series against England although this will be played at a later date. I felt that our test team grew so much on our tour of Zimbabwe.

"The Zimbabwe tour was very tough and we had to play very disciplined cricket to win the series because of the conditions that we were presented with over there."

Arthur also hoped that the momentum his team gained after winning the series against Zimbabwe is not lost due to the unexpected break.