With Sridhar on board, Sri Lanka eye fielding gold

When Sanath Jayasuriya walked into his first media briefing as Head Coach, he didn't waste time playing it safe.

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He went straight to the point fielding was going to be a game-changer. And true to his word, what the team has pulled off over the last 12 months is nothing short of a stunning come-back.

Here was a side that had just been bundled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a wooden spoon finish ninth place and failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. But under Jayasuriya's stewardship, Sri Lanka has punched above its weight, defeating the top two ranked teams in the world Australia and India. And in this remarkable turnaround, fielding has been the unsung hero, the silent game-winner.

Doubling down on the importance of fielding, the team management roped in India's former fielding guru R. Sridhar for a ten-day high-intensity camp. A coach who comes with a glowing reputation who comes with a glowing reputation gospel of fielding to the development squads and the under-19s too. It's a move that signals intent Sri Lanka wants to be sharp, not just with the bat and ball, but in the field as well.