‘If you have players with bad attitude, you won't get good results. That's what I am looking at from this team’
‘When I play cricket, I don't look at social media. I am focused on the game’
Soft-spoken Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal on Wednesday said youngsters with ‘good attitude’ are always able to produce results after his team eked out a hard-earned draw against India in the third cricket Test.
Sri Lanka had to battle health issues due to severe Delhi pollution and Chandimal attributed their fightback to the gutsy nature of youngsters like Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella.
"We have got so many youngsters for this series and they have really got a good attitude. And if that is there the best result are bound to come," Chandimal said.
"If you have players with bad attitude, you won't get good results. That's what I am looking at from this team. Good attitude, good discipline can take this team forward."
Centurion Dhananjaya came in for special praise from the Sri Lankan skipper.
"It was really a good innings. We picked him after the West Indies A team tour as he had played some good innings there. We had to trust playing him at No 3 and he took this opportunity with both hands," he said.
Chandimal though admitted that it was indeed difficult considering that they were not used to this kind of conditions.
"It was a tough time for us as a team as we are not used to this kind of conditions. In Sri Lanka, you won't get this much pollution," he said.
"But we need to play the game at the same time, so after the first two days, we had a discussion with the team and said we need to forget about the conditions and play the game. That's what everyone did.”
"We didn't discuss about smog and stuff in the dressing room or when we went back to the hotel. We finally learnt how to face such conditions in the future,"said Chandimal.
The Sri Lankan team came for some flak from the Indian fans but Chandimal said that he does not read what comes on social media.
"When I play cricket, I don't look at social media. I am focused on the game," pat came the reply when asked if criticism affected them.
Chandimal has been axed from the limited overs side but he admitted that he needs to improve his game in the other formats.
"I got enough matches in ODIs against Pakistan but I didn't perform well. I like to play ODIs because I know I can do far better," he said.
"I am working hard on my game, especially in ODIs, I need to bring about some changes in my technique. This period, I will use to become a good ODI player," said the skipper.
