Now, people are realizing how unpredictable the pitches are in T20 WC, says Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Aqib Javed

Aaqib Javed. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sri Lanka would’ve anticipated a more auspicious commencement to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, juxtaposed with their recent setbacks against South Africa and Bangladesh. While their bowling prowess has exhibited precision and efficacy, it’s the batting department that has faltered, much to the detriment of not only Sri Lanka but also numerous other teams.

However, to solely attribute the struggles to the batting facet of various teams would be overly stringent. In the five matches contested in Group D leading up to the Sri Lanka-Nepal encounter, the highest score has merely reached 124, thereby placing their challenges within a comprehensive framework. The fast bowling coach of Sri Lanka, Aqib Javed, remarked on the mercurial nature of the pitches, noting that they were the initial squad to confront such conditions.

This observation was particularly in reference to Match Four of the tournament, wherein they were dismissed for a meager 77 runs in 19.1 overs. He suggested that it is only now, with the recurrence of this trend of low scores, that teams are beginning to grasp what to anticipate when establishing or pursuing even modest targets.

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“Now, people are realizing how unpredictable the pitches are. We were the first ones who’d gone through this process. Because, I mean, look, as a player, you can’t expect anything like that, which we played the first time in New York on a new pitch. Now the people are realizing what total to place, and what they’re expecting when they’re chasing even a small total,” mentioned Javed, ahead of Sri Lanka’s match against Nepal.

He also expressed his opinion that despite considering the track at Dallas as the most favorable for batting compared to the ones in New York and Florida, the conditions were not only surprising to Sri Lanka but also to other competing teams. He emphasized that the batters have encountered considerable challenges, deviating from the anticipated behavior. Consequently, he advocated for a revision in strategies, not only for Sri Lanka but for other teams, emphasizing the necessity for extensive preparation and research ahead of their forthcoming clash against Nepal.

“Even though the Dallas pitch we played was I think one of the best in the country to bat on, still these new conditions are surprising, not just us, but many teams. The batters especially, they’ve gone through a lot. This is not the normal behaviour of the pitches and the conditions. So, I think now the teams will change their strategies, and there’ll be a little bit of change in the homework as well,” added Javed.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Sri Lanka’s strongest predicted playing XI against Nepal, Match 23