Sri Lanka team manager Michael de Zoysa says that recent upheavals in the game here will not lead to any ill-feeling between the Sri Lanka team and their English counterparts when they lock horns in a full series next month.
This was after former Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace turned his back on the 2014 World Twenty20 champs.
“Why should there be any animosity between the two camps,” De Zoysa asked.
“The decision taken by Paul Farbrace to join the England coaching set up, does not concern the Sri Lanka team and these are simply off the field events.
“We do not care whether it was Andy Flower, Farbrace, Peter Moores or any other person who has left us.
What we care about is the performance of our players on the field and we are going to England with the concerted aim of defeating Alistair Cook’s team in their own backyard.”
An upbeat Sri Lanka team manager said that the recent off the field upheaval concerning the exit of Farbrace, the player contract issue or the move to take disciplinary action against Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara will not have any alarming effect on Angelo Mathews’ men during the forthcoming series in England.
“Our boys are made of much sterner stuff than this,” the Sri Lanka manager said.
“None of this could distract them from their single-minded goal of beating the opposition and I am optimistic that there is no reason why they cannot do that.”
De Zoysa also insisted that Sri Lanka had recently won its dual titles in Bangladesh (Asia Cup and world Twenty20) due largely to the remarkable form of its players and not due to its former coach playing any drastic role from behind the scenes.
He added that if at all the recent off the field developments could drive the players to perform at their best and bring further glory to Sri Lanka in what is shaping up to be a grueling series in the UK.
Sri Lanka is to fly out next week to UK, for a busy schedule which features seven one-day internationals, one Twenty20 clash and two Test matches.
