Sri Lanka were outplayed by South Africa in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener.
After a six-wicket hammering at the hands of South Africa in New York, the team was compelled to finish their media obligations quickly.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the Sri Lankan squad had a tight timeline to return to their Brooklyn hotel, complete their packing, check out, and then head to the airport for a 6 PM flight to Dallas for their next match against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka’s preparation for their tournament opener was far from ideal. They were troubled by delayed flight to New York and had to wait for seven hours at the Miami airport.
In particular, Theekshana spoke about the challenges faced by the necessity to travel extensively between venues as a significant disadvantage.
"So unfair for us, we have to leave every day [after the match] because we are playing [at] four different venues. It's unfair. The flight we took from Florida, from Miami, we had to wait like eight hours in the airport to get the flight. And we came around. We were supposed to leave at 8 pm but we got the flight at 5 am. It's really unfair for us, but it doesn't matter when you play [on the field]."
Theekshana also highlighted the unfairness in scheduling, citing that teams stationed at a single venue gain familiarity with the conditions and have the opportunity to play practice games there,.
"Yeah, that's why. Because even from the hotel, it's one hour and 40 minutes. Even today [match day], we had to wake up around 5 am to come here," Theekshana said.
On the other hand, Hasaranga addressed queries about whether the logistical difficulties had affected the team's performance.
"We can't say that. We had a tough time the last few days. All four games in four venues. It's hard. We didn't know [anything about the conditions here]. This is our first game in New York. Next game in Dallas, we don't know [anything about the conditions there]. The next game is in Florida where we played two games, that's the only plus point we have," Hasaranga said in the post-match press conference after Sri Lanka’s embarrassing loss to South Africa.
Despite the hurdles, Sri Lanka aim to register a victory in their next game against Bangladesh to maintain their chances of reaching the Super 8 stage.
(With ANI Inputs)