Former Australian cricketer and Director of Cricket for Sri Lanka Tom Moody asked the Sri Lankan cricket team to end its culture of merely surviving and vowed to shake up the national team ahead of the next World Cup.

After serving as Sri Lanka’s head coach for two years until 2007, Tom Moody was appointed as a Director of Cricket for Sri Lanka last month for three years' contact, which goes beyond the Cricket World Cup 2023.

Addressing his first public remarks since being hired as Director of Cricket by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Tom Moody said that they need to create an environment within the playing group. He added that Sri Lankan players were ‘just holding on’ without making an extra effort and were merely trying to ‘survive’ and he will be giving them direction now.

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“We need to create an environment within the playing group... within the community of Sri Lanka cricket that (will make them) feel like they are thriving in the organization, not surviving. My direction would be very much around allowing people to grow within the business and uplifting them. Supporting them and giving them direction,” Tom Moody said.

Talking about the same, former skipper and technical advisor to Sri Lanka Cricket Aravinda de Silva said that players who will not pass the fitness test will not be considered for selection. 

“We sometimes see compromises made regarding the fitness of certain players. Anyone who did not measure up to the new standards will not be considered for selection,” said Aravinda de Silva. 

Sri Lanka cricket team is ranked second last (eighth) in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. However, in the ongoing tour of West Indies, they have lost both ODI as well as T20I series while the Test series is underway.

(AFP inputs)