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Angelo Mathews, who recently played his 100th Test for Sri Lanka, feels mystery spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has the talent and skills to win the match single-handedly for Sri Lanka. The star all-rounder, who has played in many franchise Twenty20 leagues including the Indian Premier Leauge, feels the batting has numerous talents and need to play to their strengths. Smart cricket is what he wants team to play. Mathews wants Kusal Mendis to open and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is a natural power-hitter to be in the middle order to give the team the right impetus in the end.
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Angelo Mathews, who recently played his 100th Test for Sri Lanka, feels mystery spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has the talent and skills to win the match single-handedly for Sri Lanka. The star all-rounder, who has played in many franchise Twenty20 leagues including the Indian Premier Leauge, feels the batting has numerous talents and need to play to their strengths. Smart cricket is what he wants team to play. Mathews wants Kusal Mendis to open and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is a natural power-hitter to be in the middle order to give the team the right impetus in the end.
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #cricketnews #asiacup2022
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hello to all the beautiful people of the world.
00:02The Asia Cup is about to kick off tomorrow.
00:05And we have two big teams clashing against each other, that is Sri Lanka versus Afghanistan.
00:12We all know how both teams have fared in the recent past.
00:15But to discuss about what's going to happen in tomorrow's game,
00:18I have a Sri Lankan legend who's just played 100 test matches.
00:22Was a part of the 2014 T20 World Cup winning squad.
00:26Couldn't play the 2011 World Cup due to injury.
00:29Who knows what would have happened then.
00:30But he's a living legend.
00:31Welcome to the show, Angelo.
00:34Thanks for the wonderful introduction, Anish.
00:36Thank you very much. Pleasure.
00:38Oh, it's always a pleasure to have you, Angie.
00:40And I'm so happy that you are a part of our small little show.
00:45Yeah, pleasure to be a part of it.
00:48Okay, Angie, without, you know, going further,
00:51we all know Sri Lanka's record in the Asia Cup in the past was phenomenal till the last few years.
00:57I was going through the record.
00:59Sri Lanka has won five times the Asia Cup after India, who's won seven.
01:03And there was a time where Sri Lanka was just going through, running through India.
01:07They beat India in 97.
01:09They managed to beat India in 2004.
01:11They managed to beat India in 2008.
01:13And then they won in 2014 under your captainship.
01:16How is that memory still with you, the 2014?
01:20Yeah, those are fond memories, actually.
01:22I mean, it's obviously, you know, gives a lot of satisfaction.
01:31And to be a part of any winning team, you know, will always cherish for the rest of your life.
01:41And yeah, you know, going back to 2014, I remember we beat Pakistan.
01:47And it was a fantastic team performance by the entire squad.
01:53And yeah, those are fond memories.
01:57And 2014 was a golden year where you went on to win the T20 World Cup too, beating big boys India.
02:05Absolutely.
02:07So we were actually choking before that.
02:10I mean, we lost a lot of finals, semifinals.
02:14And we couldn't really get over that line.
02:17And we had a fantastic run in 2014 where we won almost every single game.
02:25I mean, we were there for like three months playing one day as first and then test matches.
02:31And then one day as against Bangladesh.
02:33And then the World Cup happened.
02:35And it was a fantastic, fantastic, I mean, stay for us in Bangladesh.
02:42We almost won every single game and we were able to beat India as well in the finals.
02:47Well, who cannot forget that final 2014 where you all…
02:52In fact, that final was an emphatic victory.
02:55You all put India into bad, held them to 130.
02:58And then rest is history as they say.
03:00Anyways, you know what, we can talk about past records.
03:03But we have to now come to this young Sri Lankan team, which done recently well in the last T20 World Cup.
03:09Even though the results were not in their favour.
03:11But they looked a side which was coming up.
03:13And we saw recently that how they came back from behind to win the last T20.
03:17And then went on to win the one-day series as well as drew the test series.
03:23Absolutely. I mean, we have got a very good young squad.
03:27And we have got the firepower to obviously beat any team on our day if we play our best cricket.
03:35So, yes, I mean, I would have liked if we could have played that same brand of cricket.
03:42Where we lost the series and came back and won the matches if we had started off with that kind of passion.
03:50I mean, we could have won those series as well.
03:52So, yes, but nevertheless, there are lots of positives, improvements being shown by each and every person.
04:01And there are some, you know, superstars coming through the ranks as well.
04:06We have got Vanidu Hasarangas, we have got Kusal Mendis, Myasthi, Kshanas.
04:10So, we have got a good young squad.
04:14Thank you. Talking about the guys like Hasarangas, the Tiksanas.
04:18Before I come to the bowlers, tell us about the batting.
04:21Like the guys like the Gunita Thakka, Pathan Nisanka.
04:24Kusal Mendis, we know, has been there with you guys for a long time.
04:27Charita Aslanka, Bhanuka Raja Paksha.
04:30Tell us about them, you know, because these are names who have just been now coming up and showing what talent they have.
04:36Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, as I said before, we have got a good young team.
04:42And the question for me is who is going to open the batting.
04:46So, we have got the likes of Pathan Nisanka, Dhanushka Gunathilakha.
04:50And to me, I think Kusal Mendis should open.
04:53So, the question is who is going to open with whom.
04:57So, that is question number one.
05:00And then obviously, we have got, you know, Bhanuka Raja Paksha, Charita Aslanka, Dhananjaya D'Silva, Dasun Chanaka.
05:08All these guys in the middle and the middle of order who can really, you know, take the bowling on.
05:15But to me, that crucial decision will be who is going to open.
05:18Because I feel Kusal Mendis is really batting well.
05:22I mean, the recently concluded 2020 four-side tournament, he showed that as well.
05:31He has got a lot of runs opening the batting.
05:33So, that is a big question that Sri Lanka has to answer.
05:37I am sure, you know, they will find answers.
05:40And like you mentioned that in this current domestic match is what Mendis did.
05:44I am sure he has been a talent.
05:46But, you know, sometimes we have seen Kusal Mendis' graph going up and down.
05:50When he came, he was like a star Sri Lanka had found.
05:53Suddenly, his graph went down.
05:55But we really hope for the best that he does well.
05:56But tell us about this boy.
05:58You know, we have seen Bhanuka Raja Paksha.
06:01Showed good glimpses in the IPL.
06:03How dangerous is he as a player?
06:06Yeah, very dangerous to be honest.
06:08He has got this natural flow of strokes.
06:12You know, when he gets going, he takes the bowlers on and then he can score some quick runs very quickly.
06:19And, you know, you can get the team into a winning position.
06:23So, I think he will play a crucial role as well when it comes to the top order.
06:30I mean, my opinion is that he will bat in the middle order.
06:36And because he can clear the ropes any given time.
06:41So, you know, you might as well use him in that middle order.
06:45But yeah, he really can take the game away from any opposition, any bowling attack.
06:50He can dominate if he gets going.
06:53So, you feel he doesn't require the power play to be explosive.
06:57He can do it even after the six overs.
06:59Absolutely. Because he has got the power.
07:02I mean, the first six overs, you might as well use those guys who are using the pace.
07:10And then, you have the power hitters, you know, after the six overs.
07:16Because if you clear, you don't have to really power hit as such.
07:22Because even after the first six overs, if you find gaps.
07:28I mean, in 2014, we only had a couple of guys who can hit big sixes.
07:35But all the other guys like Mahal Javadhanas, TM Dilshans, Kumar Sangakkaras.
07:40You are forgetting your name. You could hit big sixes, Angie.
07:43Yeah, well, I still can.
07:46But those guys, I mean, they played some smart cricket.
07:53That's our brand of cricket.
07:55We can't play like any other team.
07:57So, we won the World Cup by playing our brand of cricket.
08:03And I think, TM Dilshan was never a power hitter.
08:06Mahal Javadhana, Kumar Sangakkaras.
08:09So, they always used the pace.
08:12They hit those gaps, ran hard.
08:14And they played smart cricket.
08:16And we still won.
08:18So, you don't have to be a power power hitter as such.
08:21If you are smart and if you pick the gaps.
08:26If you hit the right ball or take the right ball on.
08:29You can still score runs.
08:31That's a very important point.
08:32Angie has mentioned, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.
08:35That you can play and win T20 cricket by playing smart cricket.
08:39A lot of times, we have been talking about England playing the Ganga cricket.
08:42India now adapting the new approach of going aggressive.
08:45But you can still win T20 cricket by playing smart cricket.
08:48Very valid point, Angie.
08:49I want to talk about one more player which I have seen.
08:52You know, who is actually taking waves.
08:55Hasranga.
08:57You know, he did very well for RCB.
08:59He has been doing well for Sri Lanka.
09:01I think he is the brightest talent Sri Lanka has.
09:04He is just a superstar, isn't he?
09:07You know, I remember when I was captain, he made his debut in Gaul.
09:13And he got a hat-trick.
09:14And he showed glimpses of what he could do.
09:18And he has turned out to be a fantastic, fantastic cricketer for Sri Lanka.
09:24And he is just so confident.
09:27He knows that he can land the ball on where he wants it to be.
09:33And he has the variations, the pace.
09:37And he is smart as well.
09:38You know, he thinks he knows what the batsman is up to.
09:41And he is just a fantastic cricketer who has come a long way.
09:48And, I mean, we have got a good supporting role for him as well.
09:54Where Mahesh Thikshala comes into play.
09:56Unfortunately, Dushmantha Chahamira is injured.
09:58Whereas, you know, we had a few injuries.
10:01And the selectors had to replace a few other guys.
10:05But we still have a good enough bowling attack.
10:11So, it is all about scoring those runs.
10:15You mentioned about Hasranga.
10:17Like he took a hat-trick in the first series.
10:20And we all know what he can do.
10:22But I believe he has also got talent with the bats.
10:25Sometimes he doesn't do justice with that.
10:26Do you agree?
10:27Or is it just that the format is such that you have to go from ball one?
10:32Yeah. See, he is still learning.
10:35I mean, we are all still learning.
10:37No matter how many games you have played, you always learn.
10:41And the sooner he learns, he will become an extremely important all-rounder.
10:47He is already that all-rounder that we want.
10:52I am sure it is just the execution sometimes and the shot selection.
10:57So, you don't always have to think that you need to go hard from ball one.
11:03So, it is just the thinking, the process.
11:06Because you will be rushed in a T20 game.
11:10You still need to take a deep breath.
11:13You still need to think what is going to happen next.
11:17Who I am going to take on next.
11:19Because, not to forget, there is a partner as well.
11:23He can take the other bowler on.
11:26So, as a player, you don't have to feel that you always have to take it on.
11:32You always have to take it on.
11:34Sometimes, you just go 20-30 runs in about 5-10 balls.
11:39But sometimes, you take time to sort of get going.
11:43So, you have to understand what is happening at that time, on that day.
11:48And to pick your bowlers.
11:50But I am sure if he executed properly and also shot selection.
11:58If he finds that balance, I am sure he will be very consistent with the bat as well.
12:03Well, these are golden words.
12:05If you are not listening to what Angelo Matthews, the smart cricketer, is speaking.
12:10He is talking that sometimes you need to remember that you have a partner at the other end.
12:14Who can take the other bowlers on and take the game deep.
12:17And this is something which is what the likes of Angelo Matthews have done.
12:21The MS Dhoni's have done.
12:23And that's why they have been so successful.
12:25Absolutely perfect.
12:26You mentioned about Mahesh Kitsana.
12:27You know, this is one guy.
12:28I have always seen him in the likes of Angelo Mendes.
12:33You know, who had that flipper, the carrom ball.
12:36Is he in the same mould?
12:37Absolutely.
12:39He is the same as Ajanta Mendes.
12:43I thought when Ajanta was playing, he was lethal as well.
12:50He was lethal.
12:53Well, Mahesh Kitsana is.
12:55But Ajanta had a lot more variations than Mahesh Kitsana.
13:00But Mahesh Kitsana will also learn.
13:02And he is obviously his idol.
13:07I would say Ajanta Mendes.
13:09He was, you know, this famous Asia Cup final when he ran through India.
13:14That was one of the moments that we will never forget.
13:20And, you know, Mahesh is also in the same mould.
13:25But as I said, he is still young to international cricket.
13:29And the challenge will be when the batter is starting to read him.
13:35And when the batter starts to read him,
13:38then the challenge is you got to think one step ahead of the batsman.
13:43And you have seen Sunil Narayan, Ajanta Mendes.
13:47Even though the batsman started reading them,
13:50it is still difficult to, you know, get away with those kind of bowlers.
13:55So that is going to be the challenge for, I would say, all the bowlers going forward.
14:01To hit the nail, let me remind all my viewers on the show,
14:05there was a bloke called Ajanta Mendes who blew India away
14:09with his variations and different type of deliveries.
14:12The first time I heard, what's a carrom ball?
14:15And India was just blown away by one man, 6 for 13.
14:19And now we have Mahesh Kitsana as Manjul Mathew says.
14:22He will learn. He will have more variations.
14:25But batters also will find a way out.
14:28He will have to move a little more ahead than the batters think.
14:31That's what Manjul Mathew says, right?
14:33Absolutely.
14:35Fantastic. Let us come to your captain Dasun Sanakar.
14:39Tell us more about him.
14:41Yeah, I think he is finding his feet, you know, as a captain.
14:48And, I mean, obviously, he has had those exceptional innings
14:55over the last few series as well,
14:57where he can, you know, really take on the bowlers,
15:00take the game away from the opposition.
15:02So he needs to sort of get away from his captaincy burden
15:08and just think as a player and what he can offer to the team
15:13with bat and ball both.
15:15I mean, obviously, when you're captain,
15:17sometimes you think about me being a captain
15:22rather than me being a player.
15:24So, you know, it happens to all of us.
15:27So then you get more pressurized
15:32and then you don't have enough time to make those decisions.
15:37So you need to sort of sit back a little bit.
15:41Not, you know, there are 11 other guys.
15:46I mean, 10 other guys with you.
15:48And you can always, you know, talk to each and every one of them.
15:53You don't have to think that you've got to do everything on your own.
15:56So because it can affect your batting and bowling,
16:01which has happened to me in the past.
16:04So you always think as a player, whether you're the captain or not,
16:09and always look to try and contribute in whatever way possible towards winning.
16:15So Dasun will and have to play a major part in this Asia Cup.
16:20And going forward, you know, he's got a good team.
16:26And I know, I mean, performances matters.
16:31I mean, individually and as a team.
16:33So you should always focus on the job at hand
16:38rather than looking too far ahead.
16:41Well, this is an advice, not only for Dasun, as well as to all captains,
16:45is that you, when you are a captain,
16:48sometimes the captainship takes over your burdens,
16:51rather takes a toll on you, whether as a batsman or as a bowler.
16:54And I'm sure Shanaka would probably, you know, show what talent is.
16:58Because we've seen, as he said, that, you know,
17:00he shows glimpses of what he can do with a bat.
17:02But one question I want to ask, I know Angelo Matthews was an all-rounder.
17:06He used to bowl that four tidy overs, bowl that smart overs.
17:09Do you feel Shanaka is underbowling himself?
17:11Yeah, I think so.
17:13I mean, he can bowl good Yorkers.
17:17He can bowl some good slower balls as well.
17:20So he's definitely underbowled himself.
17:22He can definitely contribute, you know, even more with the ball.
17:26You know, he's a good enough bowler, obviously.
17:30So he can bowl at least, you know, two, three overs.
17:34He doesn't have to bowl all four because you've got the likes of
17:37Hasaranga, Mahesh Dixit and a few other guys.
17:41But so he can, you know, take control.
17:45He can, you know, he's got the experience.
17:48He's played enough cricket to sort of know what's exactly happening.
17:51So he can definitely bowl a lot more overs.
17:54All right.
17:56I would like to ask about the guy who's just come back into the form of his life,
18:03Dinesh Chandimal.
18:04What has he been eating of late?
18:07No, he's played really well.
18:11I mean, you saw against Australia and even against Pakistan.
18:15He's in tremendous form.
18:18And obviously the formats are different.
18:22But he's played some exceptional cricket over the past few months.
18:28Fair point.
18:30Before I let you go, you know, you're playing a dangerous side.
18:35A dangerous side called Afghanistan.
18:37You know, T20 is such an unpredictable format.
18:39But this is one format the Afghanistan team probably prefers more than anybody
18:43else because they have the firepower.
18:45They have the spinners.
18:47And now they have a face attack.
18:49How do you see Afghanistan?
18:54Afghanistan, we've always never taken them light.
19:01You know, because they can upset any team on any given day.
19:06And they've got experience in all three departments, I would say.
19:16So Nabi is obviously captain.
19:18But Rashid Khan, Ujjibur Rahmat and Gurbas.
19:24All these guys have played plenty of cricket all around the world.
19:27And we've played against them as well.
19:30So we know how dangerous they are.
19:32We cannot relax against a dangerous Afghanistan team.
19:38We have to play our A game to win against them.
19:41And, you know, they've got a very good bowling attack.
19:45You know, they've got an extremely good bowling attack.
19:48Spin heavy, obviously.
19:50But they've got that blend of youth and experience.
19:55We cannot take them light.
19:59Again, a fair point that they've got a blend of youth and experience.
20:03They have Rashid Khan.
20:04They have Nabi.
20:06They have Gurbas.
20:07They have, you know, Najibullah Zadran.
20:09They're all dangerous players.
20:10And they can beat any side on their given day.
20:13That's a fair point.
20:14So we should have a cracker of a game.
20:16I probably have to ask you one more question.
20:18India versus Pakistan.
20:19Whom do you give the edge in the first match coming the next day?
20:22See, it's a toughie.
20:25It has always been a toughie because Pakistanis are very unpredictable.
20:29They can, as I always say, they can beat any team in any condition
20:34when they are going.
20:36But Indians have dominated, actually, over the past few years.
20:41So it's going to be a cracker of a game.
20:43I can't pick a team, obviously, because, as I said,
20:48Indians have dominated over the past few years.
20:54And Pakistanis have showed what they are capable of when they get going.
20:59So it's going to be a cracker of a game.
21:02We all can't wait for it, Angelo.
21:05Absolutely pleasure to have you.
21:07And you have really put up your thinking hat.
21:09And I'm sure guys who will listen to the show would give their ears.
21:14It's, you know, easier said than done.
21:16But if you sometimes follow the big boys, you can deliver.
21:19Thank you, Angie.