Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has called for government intervention and growing negativity after their unceremonious exit from the T20 World Cup 2026.
Sri Lanka's campaign in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 came to a disappointing end as co-hosts were eliminated from the Super Eights stage following consecutive heavy defeats. The team suffered a 61-run loss to New Zealand in Colombo, preceded by a 51-run defeat to England, sealing their fate as the first side knocked out of semifinal contention.
Amid the heartbreak, Shanaka pointed to external factors contributing to the downturn. He highlighted excessive "negativity outside" affecting the players.
"A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things. No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. As players, it's very hard for us to control the outside noise. Most of the time, we mainly hear negative stuff," Shanaka said at the post-match press conference.
The captain went further, calling for intervention to safeguard future players' mental health.
"We will play and leave, but for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it, that's better for their mental health," Shanaka urged.
Shanaka also cited bowler-friendly pitches and fitness concerns for key players as challenges, while crediting opponents for strong performances. The Sri Lanka captain also called for a change in mentality and save the 'only sport we have'.
"This is the only sport we have, and I don't know if we'll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium, you'll see how many people are standing with mics, and people will say stuff without even having watched the match. Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns. More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore," he added.
Sri Lanka are already eliminated of the T20 World Cup but they still have a match in hand against Pakistan on February 28.
