Sangakkara sees no reason as to why Sri Lanka cannot win the World Twenty20

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara has admitted that the pitches at home have begun changing, whereby they have started to become less spin-friendly.

Even though the pitches at Pallekele, Hambantota and Colombo are starting to suit pace bowling more, Sangakkara stated that Sri Lanka were still the favourites to win the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20, despite the fact that the team have a very strong spin attack.

With Sri Lanka hosting the upcoming World Twenty20, many of the national team players used the Sri Lanka Premier League to get prepared for the competition.

“Our sides have changed a little bit, we don’t depend on spin alone anymore or just one fast bowler in Chaminda Vaas. We have different sets of fast bowlers and different sets of spinners. With the change in conditions our sides have changed, but home advantage is not only about wickets. It’s about playing in your country, playing in front of the people who cheer and love you,” Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara noted that the Premadasa pitch in Colombo had changed a lot after undergoing renovation, and it would not matter which team won the toss any more since there was no advantage for any one, unlike before.

The Premadasa pitch will play host to 15 of the 27 World Twenty20 matches, including the semi-final and final.

“When the wickets were relaid, in the first few games there was a lot of turn and now they’ve settled down into beautiful wickets where batting first or second you have an equal chance of winning. Batting under lights has become so much easier that some sides now prefer to chase,” Sangakkara added.

The pitches at Pallekele and Hambantota also have a lot of pace to offer, which is rather unlike the spin-friendly pitches Sri Lanka is known for.

“Pallekele seems to have a lot in it at night. It seams and swings around and that will be an interesting challenge for us being a Sri Lankan side playing in our conditions to encounter those conditions. Hambantota is completely different. There is quite a strong wind from one side and the pitch can be a bit up and down. The vicious turn that [Sri Lankan pitches] used to have is no more, so sides have to adjust accordingly,” Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara also mentioned that the home fans would be a huge morale booster for the team, and the fact that Sri Lanka had played well in previous ICC events will only increase the team’s confidence and chances of winning.

Since 2007, Sri Lanka have finished second in consecutive World Cups and the 2009 World Twenty20, while in the 2010 edition of the Twenty20 tournament, Sri Lanka made it as far as the semi-finals.

“Sri Lanka have always been favourites in my view in any tournament that we play because we’ve been able to rise to those big occasions really well as a unit and adjust accordingly. If you take our last 4-5 years, it’s been an amazing run in big tournaments. We just need to believe in ourselves and believe in that fact and keep playing,” Sangakkara added.

Sangakkara missed the entire Sri Lanka Premier League due to a fractured finger, but is expected to be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 on September 18.

Sri Lanka will face Zimbabwe on the opening day of the tournament.