High expectations as Master Blaster’s swansong as Head Coach nears
“My focus is the T20 World Cup and even though my contract runs beyond the global showpiece, I don’t intend to hang on” - Sanath Jayasuriya
For Sanath Jayasuriya, the road to the World Cup is no longer just another chapter in Sri Lanka’s cricketing calendar. It is the final stretch of a journey that began quietly in December 2023 as a consultant and gathered full momentum when he officially took over as Head Coach in October 2024. This time, there is an end point clearly marked.
Whatever the outcome of the World Cup, this will be Jayasuriya’s last assignment in charge of the national team. The man who once redefined Sri Lankan batting at the highest level has already decided when to step away.
“My focus is the T20 World Cup and even though my contract runs beyond the global showpiece, I don’t intend to hang on,” Jayasuriya told the Sunday Times in an interview.
Knowing this is the end gives extra importance to everything that comes before the tournament, starting with the series against Pakistan and England. Jayasuriya does not see these as routine fixtures squeezed into a busy schedule. For him, they are central to Sri Lanka’s World Cup ambitions.
“This is the best preparation we can get,” he said referring to the two series before the World Cup.
“We need to use it to the maximum. We are playing in our conditions and whether it is T20 or ODI cricket, this is the best opportunity one can ask for.”
Home conditions, quality opposition and back-to-back series provide the closest possible simulation of World Cup demands. Jayasuriya believes it also removes excuses and forces clarity.
“When you play at home, there is no hiding. You have to be accountable. This is the time to sharpen our instincts because in tournaments those instincts are what fail under pressure,” he explained.
More importantly, Jayasuriya sees these series as the final testing ground before locking in combinations. “We will make use of this opportunity to get our final combination right for the World Cup,” he said. “That is very important for us.”
Preparation under Jayasuriya has moved decisively away from generic routines. The focus has been on specifics, broken down player by player, condition by condition and opposition by opposition.
“We were looking at specific areas,” he said.
“We looked into weak areas and worked on those areas according to the conditions. It helps players individually.”
Training blocks have been tailored to what Sri Lanka expect from Pakistan first and England next. Opposition analysis has gone deep, sometimes into uncomfortable detail.
“We analysed the opposition teams and trained based on those analysed performances,” Jayasuriya said.
The bowling group has received particular attention. Fast bowlers and spinners have been worked with separately, with clearly defined objectives. Lasith Malinga’s influence on the fast bowlers has been hands on and precise.
“Lasith (Malinga) did so much for fast bowling,” Jayasuriya noted.
“He did spot bowling with individual players and worked to their strengths while helping them with weak areas.”
Spinners have followed a similar path, with an emphasis on control and execution rather than variety for its own sake. Sachith Pathirana and Rene Ferdinands have played key roles in those sessions.
“With spinners also, it is about understanding situations,” Jayasuriya said.
“Not just turning the ball, but knowing when to attack and when to control.”
Batting preparation has been equally layered. Video analysis, scenario based discussions and constant dialogue have formed the backbone of the work.
“We discussed batting with players, using video, breaking down situations,” Jayasuriya said.
“Jehan Mubarak and Ramakrishnan Sridhar–the fielding coach also helped us a lot. Sridhar has been with the Indian team and that experience is valuable.”
Despite all the preparation, Jayasuriya remains clear eyed about what ultimately matters.
“At the end of the day, what matters is how they perform in the middle,” he said.
“We can support them, guide them and prepare them, but they have to execute.”
If Sri Lanka are to be serious contenders for the World Cup title, Jayasuriya has no hesitation in identifying where improvement is needed.
“Batting has to improve,” he admitted.
“Bowling execution also has to be better, especially in key phases.”
While the batsmen have been working hard in the nets, old patterns still worry the coach.
“There are specific time slots where we slow down,” he said.
“Especially when setting up targets. On slow wickets, we try to score too many runs instead of reading the situation. They need to change their plans according to the conditions. We have discussed this extensively, hopefully they will read conditions and adjust.”
Playing the World Cup in familiar conditions brings its own pressures. Jayasuriya does not downplay that reality.
“A coach always has additional pressure,” he said.
“This time it will be very high, but that is part of the game. You have to absorb that pressure.”
On the wider question of Sri Lanka lagging behind leading teams in T20 cricket, Jayasuriya rejects the idea of a skills gap.
“It is not about talent,” he said.
“These players are talented. They can play any shot on any wicket. The problem is confidence and handling situations.”
He believes decision making, rather than ability, separates Sri Lanka from the best.
“It is about understanding the situation and adjusting. That is where we need to improve.”
Reflecting on his time with the team across formats, Jayasuriya offers a measured assessment.
“In Tests and ODIs, we are happy,” he said.
“We had areas to improve, but we made progress and got results.”
T20 cricket, however, remains unfinished business.
“In T20s, I think we have achieved only about 50 percent,” he admitted.
“That is not enough. We need to go to around 70 percent. There has been improvement, but not to the level we want. I am happy with Test and ODI teams. They are on the right track and with time they improve.”
Sanath Jayasuriya who once played the game with fearless abandon is preparing for his final assignment with the same intensity. Whether the World Cup ends in glory or disappointment, one thing is certain. This is Jayasuriya’s last lap, and he intends to run it on his own terms.