Sangakkara and Jayawardena’s Boots Cannot Be Filled; These Players Have Their Own Marks To Make.

Sri Lanka entered the World Twenty 20 2016 as defending champions, but left the competition in the preliminary stages after loosing two of the three games they played in the last two weeks.

The potential of the team is constantly being downplayed after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired from the national team, more so when current player Lasith Malinga was benched from this tournament due to an injury.

Due to this, captain Angelo Mathews and his team were dealt with a new responsibility that many are pinning onto them: “how are you going to fill Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Malinga’s shoes?”

The commentators throughout every game continuously mentioned the ghosts of the Sri Lankan team’s past, comparing each player’s move to that of the legends that have left their mark.

This was not made any easier when interviews before and after the games constantly brought up previous players to the current team, leaving them to somehow prove themselves to the audiences.

But what people are not looking at enough is the potential of the new younger players.

Not to mention the fact that the majority of the last winning team is still present within the island nation’s side, such as notable players captain Mathews, Rangana Hearth and Tilikaratne Dilshan.

During the four games that the team played over the last fortnight, there have been moments for praise for the players, especially for newcomer, Jeffery Vandersay, a leg-spin bowler who was brought to stand in for Malinga.

After being dropped from the primary squad line-up due to poor performances, having been brought back as a replacement for Malinga, Vandersay proved himself when taking 2 wickets in their game against England and one when up against the West Indies.

Vandersay is not the only player who had to prove their worth. Last minute addition, Lahiru Thirimanne, who originally came in for replacement of Vandersay. Even though, he was caught out during his batting periods, his performances up to that point were more than sub-par.

Though the level of performance was lower than the usual standard, especially coming into the tournament as defending champions, the pressure was added further with the persistent mentions of Sangakkara looming over, it is no wonder the team did not match expectations.

With legendary players such as Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya, it is no wonder that the pressure is on.

These players have broken records that they still hold to this day, making the Sri Lankan team one to look out for in any tournament. However as these players retire and or leave the international cricketing scene, the players who are left to represent the country are obliged to reach their standards.

It is not to say that they cannot do it, but they cannot become these players.

In cricket, players are individual, each have their own style and performance that they are known for. This is not just for the Sri Lankan team, but also for any team. The reason certain names are world-renowned is because their performance is something that should be witnesses to.

The current Sri Lankan squad are making names for themselves in their own way. It won’t happen instantly, it’ll take time.

Contrary to what others are saying, this is not a transition phase for Sri Lanka nor is this a training period to become Sangakkara. It’s a period of growth and showing what they’re worth, as well as becoming one team.

With new younger talent coming into the team to take positions of the old, maybe Sri Lanka is on the horizon of the next Sangakkara.

But not Sangakkara, if you know what I mean.