Lanka coach lashes out at 'outside interference' post Dambulla defeat

Sri Lanka's cricket coach Nick Pothas has said that 'too many cooks' are spoiling his efforts to revive the national team besides blaming outside interference for a string of poor performances in the recent times.

Pothas' comments came in the wake of Upul Tharanga's crushing nine-wicket defeat against India in the opening ODI of the five-match series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.

However, Pothas refused to blame the players for the defeat and said that the frequent changes in the selection line-up are making his job "very difficult".

"You do get angry - to say 'too many cooks' is probably accurate. You get frustrated. Am I angry with the players? Absolutely not. The players work as hard as anyone can ask of them," Sport24 quoted Pothas as saying.

"They've been superb. Support staff have been out of this world. Brilliant. They work endless hours with planning and helping the boys. You can't fault anyone within that changing room," he added.

The national selection committee, headed by former cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya, has fielded 40 players in ODIs since taking over the role in May last year.

And Pothas, who took over the reins as head coach after Graham Ford stepped down at the end of June, admitted that there had been too many changes in the side.

"When you get consistency within a team of players, you will see improvements in performance. When we're getting new players every game, it gets very difficult from a confidence point of view. From the player's point of view it's very difficult. It's difficult for us - the coaching staff - to create a strategy," he added.

Lanka, who are now trailing 0-1 in the series, have to win at least two matches to finish among the top-eight teams in the ICC rankings ahead of September 30 cut-off for a direct entry to the 2019 World Cup in England.

The hosts will play their second ODI against India on Thursday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.