COLOMBO, Oct 16, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lankan legend Aravinda de Silva

admits there have been "issues with discipline" but the country which won the
T20 World Cup seven years ago is on the way back, he says.

  Also unable to shrug off corruption scandals, Sri Lanka fell outside the
top eight when qualifying was decided for the upcoming World Cup, condemning
them to the preliminaries against outsiders such as the Netherlands, Ireland
and Namibia.

  But as part of an overhaul, de Silva, vice captain of the side that won the
50-over World Cup in 1996, was brought in to head Sri Lanka's cricket
committee.

  Another legend, Mahela Jayawardene, a member of the side that triumphed at
the T20 World Cup in 2014, has been drafted in to mentor the team competing
in the United Arab Emirates and Oman -- to give "confidence and support".

  On the field, all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is the latest to take on the
captain's role to bring order.

  "I think people have to understand it's a very young side," de Silva told
AFP ahead of Sri Lanka's opening World Cup fixture, against Namibia on
Monday. Shanaka "has done well up to now", he added.

  "So I guess we need to back these guys. I think there were certain issues
with discipline and things like that.

  "And the biggest issue is I think the cricketer should be allowed to play
cricket; and the administers should look at and focus on their administrative
stuff."

  Sri Lanka is overhauling the domestic cricket structure to produce players
for the national team, the 55-year-old said.

  "If you look at the Sri Lanka team, they've got talent, but maybe some of
the positions, the way they approach the game in the batting lineup, could be
changed to be that much more efficient and effective.

  "Those kinds of thinking comes through experience and also understanding
the game very well."

  According to de Silva, most coaches and selectors do not have enough T20
experience, but Jayawardene has been a top player and head coach for Mumbai
Indians in the Indian Premier League.

  "We wanted him to spend some time and talk about the situations, how to
handle those situations. These young boys need to understand all those and
how they should be approached in a certain situation." - 'Never win another
World Cup' -

  De Silva and former Australian star Tom Moody introduced new performance-
based contracts for players that were initially rejected.

  Angelo Mathews, whose annual contract was reduced by $50,000 a year and
withdrew from national duty in July for "personal reasons", has returned to
the squad -- though not for the World Cup.

  The off-field problems have become legend.

  Kusal Mendis, opener Danushka Gunathilaka and wicketkeeper Niroshan
Dickwella were banned for a year for breaching the team's coronavirus bubble
in England in July.

  Of their 12 T20 matches this year, Sri Lanka have won three and lost nine.
They suffered series whitewashes against England and South Africa, sparking
outrage among fans.

  However, they won a series 2-1 against a second-string Indian team in
August to win back some respect in the cricket-crazy nation of 21 million
people.

  Doubts remain though -- former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage
declared this month that Sri Lanka "will never be able to win another World
Cup" until it ends match-fixing.

  He said that it was the game's administrators, not the players, at the
heart of the rot.