Sri Lanka arrived on British soil in 2019, hoping that their mix of youth and experience would save
them from the humiliation of finishing last in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
To be fair to the Islanders, they performed well above their weight for vast swaths of the game. At one time, they even hoped to qualify for the semi-finals. However, this did not happen, as Sri Lanka finished sixth after the round-robin stage.
Nonetheless, the performances in that tournament were viewed as a sign of a brighter future for Sri Lanka, one that would allow the country to move beyond the shadows of giants like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Unfortunately, that has proven to be false dawn thus far, with Sri Lankan cricket in the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh reaching (perhaps) its lowest ebb.
To put things in perspective, Bangladesh has never beaten Sri Lanka in a bilateral ODI series before this year's match. They've done it with a game to spare now, and they may even send Sri Lanka home with a humiliating 3-0 defeat.
However, the current rubber dispute with Bangladesh has a bigger context. Sri Lanka has indicated unequivocally that they will not return to their older players, who helped them defy expectations at the 2019 World Cup.
They've also stated that they wish to entrust their youngsters with responsibilities and hurl them into the deep end. The fact that the ruse was almost always accompanied with a sense of what could have been (in terms of the senior players) highlights the terrible hole Sri Lanka has dug for itself.
As a result, Sri Lanka's humiliating defeat to Bangladesh could not have come at a worse time. Not only has it cast a pall over their children, but it has also reignited the debate over whether or not the senior statesmen should be reinstated.
At this point, it's painfully apparent that Sri Lanka isn't good enough to regularly compete against the top eight (or even nine) ODI teams. As a result, due to their vast experience, one might be tempted to include Angelo Mathews, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Dinesh Chandimal.
Despite all of the benefits they bring to the table, their reintroduction may have the opposite effect.
To be fair to the Islanders, they performed well above their weight for vast swaths of the game. At one time, they even hoped to qualify for the semi-finals. However, this did not happen, as Sri Lanka finished sixth after the round-robin stage.
Nonetheless, the performances in that tournament were viewed as a sign of a brighter future for Sri Lanka, one that would allow the country to move beyond the shadows of giants like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Unfortunately, that has proven to be false dawn thus far, with Sri Lankan cricket in the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh reaching (perhaps) its lowest ebb.
To put things in perspective, Bangladesh has never beaten Sri Lanka in a bilateral ODI series before this year's match. They've done it with a game to spare now, and they may even send Sri Lanka home with a humiliating 3-0 defeat.
However, the current rubber dispute with Bangladesh has a bigger context. Sri Lanka has indicated unequivocally that they will not return to their older players, who helped them defy expectations at the 2019 World Cup.
They've also stated that they wish to entrust their youngsters with responsibilities and hurl them into the deep end. The fact that the ruse was almost always accompanied with a sense of what could have been (in terms of the senior players) highlights the terrible hole Sri Lanka has dug for itself.
As a result, Sri Lanka's humiliating defeat to Bangladesh could not have come at a worse time. Not only has it cast a pall over their children, but it has also reignited the debate over whether or not the senior statesmen should be reinstated.
At this point, it's painfully apparent that Sri Lanka isn't good enough to regularly compete against the top eight (or even nine) ODI teams. As a result, due to their vast experience, one might be tempted to include Angelo Mathews, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Dinesh Chandimal.
Despite all of the benefits they bring to the table, their reintroduction may have the opposite effect.