ICC World Cup 2019: Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne Should Score Runs First, Feels Muttiah Muralitharan

Sri Lanka Cricket Team have named Dimuth Karunaratne as their new skipper for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. They have stripped off veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga from leadership duties after a massive losing streak. As Karunaratne awaits his return to ODIs after four long years, renowned cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan feels he needs to score runs first.

Karunaratne needs to score runs first: Muralitharan

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket is going through tumultuous times and has not looked settled as a unit. Test defeat to Bangladesh, ODI rubber loss to Zimbabwe, 5-0 embarrassments against South Africa, India and Pakistan and an Asia Cup campaign in UAE that ended in a whimper last year has had a significant impact on this side. Besides, since 2016, the Sri Lankan cricket board has been changed thrice and the selection committee four times. The uncertainty also filtered down to the support staff too, with five captains, as many chief coaches, and four batting coaches going in and coming out.

Read More: We Have Earned the Favourites Tag With the Brand of Cricket We Played, Says Ben Stokes

Also read: ICC World Cup 2019: Pakistan Name Their Final 15 For the Marquee Event

And now they look to settle things bringing a new skipper in place in Dimuth Karunaratne. Muttiah Muralitharan feels the southpaw will have to score runs with the bat and lead the batting unit. The highest wicket-taker in cricket also added that if Karunaratne fails to score runs, he will be a weak leader as well. However, Muralitharan also said that often new skipper can do a world of good to a team as he brings a lot of freshness.

Whoever leads the side must be a bold and strong cricketer. That’s how I see it. I don’t know whether Dimuth has those attributes. I’ve not seen him enough as a leader. He had an opportunity to lead from the front in South Africa. And now he gets a chance to take charge in ODIs, and that too after a long hiatus from this format.

He’s the captain, alright, but first, he must get runs. If he’s unable to make himself count as a batsman, he’ll be a weak leader. That said, having a new leader is definitely a huge plus. Often, freshness can do wonders in terms of gelling the unit together,” Muttiah Muralitharan said to TOI.

Sri Lanka will begin their World Cup campaign on June 1 against New Zealand at the Sophia Gardens.  They will aim to stun some of the big teams in the upcoming marquee event.

Read More: Tried to Copy Smriti Mandhana’s Style But Didn’t Work, Reveals Riyan Parag