Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has pushed back against criticism from England’s camp over the surface used for the second ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium, suggesting that the match itself did not support claims of an unplayable wicket. The comments came ahead of the series decider, after debate flared following England’s successful chase in Colombo.
England squared the three-match series by overhauling a target of 220 with more than three overs remaining, a result that triggered strong reactions from visiting players. Harry Brook was particularly blunt in his assessment of the conditions, while Joe Root also questioned the suitability of the pitch for ODI cricket, despite guiding his side home with a decisive innings.
Asalanka, however, pointed to the overall scoring pattern as evidence that the criticism was exaggerated. He stressed that both teams were able to accumulate runs and suggested that assessments of playing conditions can often be subjective.
“That was his opinion – mine might be a bit different. If he says this is the worst pitch he’s seen, that’s something he feels. But between the two teams we hit 440 runs.”
The Sri Lanka skipper also drew attention to a previous encounter between the sides to underline what he viewed as an inconsistency in reactions. During the 2023 World Cup in Bengaluru, England were dismissed cheaply, yet the surface did not attract the same scrutiny.
“If you looked at the 2023 World Cup – they’d only got 180 [actually 156] in that game, and no one said anything about the pitch. I don’t know why he’s saying this now. I guess we’ll see what is said after the next match,” Asalanka added.
