"If things go well, this series will be huge for the future" : Rumesh Ratnayake

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka's interim head coach Rumesh Ratnayake feels his side's trouble-free limited-overs tour of Pakistan will encourage other nations to send their sides to this part of the world.

The Sri Lankan team began its tour of Pakistan on Friday, after 10 of its main players refused to travel citing security concerns.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had initially invited Cricket Sri Lanka to play two Tests of the ICC Test Championship in Karachi and Lahore but the Islanders instead opted to play a limited-overs series of three ODIs and as many Twenty20 matches.

The PCB is now looking at this tour to pass off successfully and have the Tests in December in Pakistan.

"This will be a precursor for that (Test) tour (in December). I'm sure this will certainly encourage the others (SL player, who refused to travel) to take decisions, we can't enforce it on them," Ratnayake told a media conference.

"They have taken a decision and we have to respect that, but certainly, if things go well, this series will be a huge thing for the future, not only for them but for all other countries to be here."

Much to the disappointment of the players and fans, the opening ODI was washed out due to rain and Ratnayake said the downpour has affected the team's training as well.

"It has been raining and it has been humid today. Even before we came here the preparations were hampered by rain.

"We have had only a day's training outside and today is another. The preparation hasn't been all that good but that's not going to be an excuse which I will give because they are all professional players," Ratnayake said.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...-rumesh-ratnayake-reaction-1604562-2019-09-29

 

[SensiblePakFan]

I dont think the team would mind leaving the hotel, its these **** security consultants who force us to literally use man to man security. Even in police vehicles, the buses are already bomb proof, max 8 cars are needed 3,2,3 with buses in between. Not a 20 police van convoy.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sri Lanka interim head coach Rumesh Ratnayake "I'm privileged to be here in Pakistan. It was a privilege as a player to be here also & I enjoyed all the tours here in the past. I got on very well with Pakistani players, some very big names, one who's even leading your country"</p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1178349002665934854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rumesh Ratnayake "Imran Khan's been very encouraging, during the time I was playing he had me in his room for 45 minutes advising me & I really appreciated that. He's been a great friend of Sri Lanka and a great friend of ours and I think he's leading you well too" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1178351091471265794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Positive comments.

 

[MMHS]

I dont think the team would mind leaving the hotel, its these **** security consultants who force us to literally use man to man security. Even in police vehicles, the buses are already bomb proof, max 8 cars are needed 3,2,3 with buses in between. Not a 20 police van convoy.

If only PCB arranged something 127 months back........ The issue isn't about how safe or unsafe PAK is - issue is PAK failed to protect a touring team, who was there to prove the credibility.

It's something like a boy has passed an exam and then challenged that he has passed through copying. So he excepts the challenge and opts to rewrite the exam, with a similar question paper ..... and fails measurably this time, in every paper!!!!

I wish GoP makes it absolute full proof up to a nuke attack.......

 

[SensiblePakFan]

If only PCB arranged something 127 months back........ The issue isn't about how safe or unsafe PAK is - issue is PAK failed to protect a touring team, who was there to prove the credibility.

It's something like a boy has passed an exam and then challenged that he has passed through copying. So he excepts the challenge and opts to rewrite the exam, with a similar question paper ..... and fails measurably this time, in every paper!!!!

I wish GoP makes it absolute full proof up to a nuke attack.......

Yup, they relaxed and lost trust, the absolute hardest thing to regain.

 

[MenInG]

"We've created the precedent & I'm sure it should be a lead to other countries" : Rumesh Ratnayake

Sri Lanka Coach Rumesh Ratnayake speaking to the press:

"They [Shan and Abid] have taken the game away from us completely at the moment, and they showed us how batting should be done; Even though I feel that our bowlers did not bowl well at the start and continued like that for 2 sessions, I feel that they batted extremely well; So they have taken the game from us but it could be an interesting day tomorrow"

"Kumara is a sensation, isn't he? I don't think we have the wealth of fast bowlers as Pakistanis has but Kumara is certainly an exception"

"We have had a few others who may come good in the future but Kumara is certainly an exception; we see him running through day in day out, and the way he has bowled is really fantastic"

"If you call this pitch a batting paradise, you are taking the credit away from the batting skills of the batsmen; I think they batted extremely well; Whilst we saw a lot of skill in the batting, but as a former bowler and a bowling coach, I would like to say that we did not stick to our plans as we should have; But at the end of the day, they batted extremely well"

"We would like to restrict Pakistan as much as possible in this innings as even today in each session we had a target of restricting them to say 70-80 runs but we didnt stick to that; Tomorrow, the target will be to restrict them as much as possible; Its up to all the bowlers, and not just upto Kumara and Embuldeniya, as others also have to come into the game and bowl well and tight and hopefully restrict them to as less as possible, and [take] more time as possible"

"As time went by, we seem the pitch drying out with a heavy roller used by Pakistan, by which it became really dry and it has become a placid pitch"

"There was a little bit of turn at the end of the day and so it will be interesting on the 4th Day"

Speaking about meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad:

"Yes, it was a very friendly meeting and it was a pleasure for us to meet him again and it was very nice of him to have arranged that meeting, we reminisced about the old times and about a few things that we had done; He inquired about a few players which was really nice and for him to give us 12 minutes of his time was really fantastic"

"Everybody knows that our [Sri Lanka] relationship with Pakistan is huge, and it has been so for a long time, and that's one of the reasons we are are here; I have been coming here from 1984 and its been a pleasure"

"Some of the plans [for the bowlers] are very simple, such as keeping it tight in line with the stumps, and also keeping it on the right length, and those are not hard plans to adhere to"

"Some of the guys did that, and some didnt and partnerships didnt happen in bowling, which I felt was a big miss"

Question asked about SL bowlers being tired

"I don't think that is an excuse we can give, I am sure they were tired and everyone gets tired but in a Test match that shouldnt be an excuse; We faltered and if Kumara did well then I am sure others should have taken his example and I am sure its a learning curve for others about what they have to do in the future"

"We have created the precedence and I am sure it should be a lead to other countries also but how they feel and do things is something I cannot comment on; Sri Lanka has taken the decision and we have done it and if you invite us next month, we will come here again"

"Pakistan has always been comfortable to me as I have been here even after the incident, 5 times, before this tour took place"

"The boys have gone out for dinner and being seeing their friends, and I am sure as time goes on, things will me much much easier than it is now; Its just that its about the confidence and faith one should have to come to a place like that, and we have created that lead and I am sure others can take it"

 

[MenInG]

Listened to his presser and he seems like an accomplished diplomat! Excellent remarks about visit to Pakistan.