Sri Lanka got off to a horrid start in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Taking on South Africa in their first game, the side conceded a mammoth total of 428 runs in the first innings, whereas they managed to score 326 runs in the run chase before they were bundled out, eventually losing the game by 102 runs.

In their defense, the team has struggled with numerous injuries in recent weeks. Ace bowler Maheesh Theekshana, who is a vital cog in Sri Lanka’s bowling lineup, missed the side’s clash against South Africa after he sustained a hamstring injury during the Asia Cup 2023.

However, the side received a big boost ahead of their second World Cup clash, as assistant coach Naveed Nawaz came forward and stated that Theekshana has recovered completely and will be available for their upcoming game against Pakistan.

“He’s fit and should play tomorrow, didn’t want to risk him in the first game against medical advice but he should be ready here,” Naveed Nawaz was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

We expect to face similar pitches: Nawaz

Furthermore, Naveed Nawaz also talked about what kind of conditions Sri Lanka are expecting in their second game of the tournament. Led by Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka will be taking on Pakistan in the eighth game of the World Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 10.

After their performance against Pakistan, Nawaz hoped that they would anticipate conditions for their upcoming game and put in an improved performance.

“It’s simple, we expect to face similar pitches, they’re not going to change; it’s going to be batting-friendly mostly. We have to look at our execution and see how we could’ve pulled back another 50-60 runs. We have to keep the group positive, that is most important. It’s a long tournament, we’re going to be playing, traveling and doing other things for over a month. We just have to take the learnings from each game and move forward,” Naveed Nawaz said.