In an exclusive online live video interview with Newswire held on the 24th of May (Sunday), current head coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians and former Sri Lanka Cricket Captain Mahela Jayawardena shared his views on whether Lasith Malinga should captain the Sri Lanka Cricket Team in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
He shared his thoughts on the issue as response to a question posed by a fan to him, in a context where Sri Lanka Cricket management had said previously that his eligibility for the captaincy will be confirmed subject to his performance in the IPL.
Mahela replied, saying that Malinga’s skills as a player and his skills in captaincy are two different aspects in his game and that his skills as a player should not determine his eligibility for captaincy.
Explaining further on his stance, the star cricketer stated that Malinga’s experience as a player will come in handy when he is the captain and that the cricket selection committee should take that into account.
Speaking on the lines of Malinga’s recent performances, Mahela also pointed out that Malinga has been the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka in the T20 format even in the last 12 months of play, while agreeing with the fact that Malinga has been an important part in the Mumbai Indians Franchise too, purely due to his performance all throughout.