It is said an army can't run on empty stomachs.
However, the Sri Lankan team has learned to march ahead with nearly empty wallets, an unstable coaching structure for the national team and political interference.
With two wins on the trot and a tie, the Lankans have overtaken India in the points table for the tri-series on account of their bonus point against Australia.
Though Sri Lanka have not won any major series over the past year, their Test and ODI series in South Africa a couple of months back stood out for the way the Lankans made the hosts fight tooth-and-nail.
Sri Lanka¿s victories in the tri-series have been total team efforts
In the process, Sri Lanka also won their first ever Test match in the rainbow nation - a 208-run win in Durban.
The ODI series went 3-2 South Africa's way. And even in England, they lost only one Test, that too in a bizarre collapse in the last session of the Cardiff Test.
Dinesh Chandimal (pictured) has been the top scorer for Sri Lanka during the competition
One has to appreciate their resilience as Sri Lanka Cricket has been in a financial crisis since the World Cup, after accumulating debts of close to $70 million following the construction of new stadia in Hambantota and Pallekele and renovation at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The players hadn't been paid their wages since the World Cup and ICC had to intervene by making a direct payment of $2 million to the players.
That was less than half of what was owed to the players and they are participating in this series without being paid.
However, it has been reported that a Sri Lankan bank has released around (Sri Lankan) Rs 60 crore to the struggling cricket board so that the cricketers can be paid their dues.
For all the players who haven't been playing for long and are without endorsement contracts, the times were filled with uncertainty.
OFF FIELD ISSUES
Coaches: Have come and gone quicklysince the World Cup. Recently, Geoff Marsh was dumped in favour of Graham Ford.
Players: Have hardly been paid any money since the World Cup, owing to Sri Lanka Cricket’s $70 million debt.
But captain Mahela Jayawardene said there were bigger issues than cheques.
'If we were after money, we probably wouldn't have toured and played at all the other places.
Yes, we had some problems, but it never interfered with our cricket. We never made any issues with our board.
We worked together with them and tried to sort out the problems.
It's not just our payment, there are a lot of other things back home. Money never was a factor,' he had said on Monday.
The other aspects have namely been government interference in the functioning of Sri Lankan Cricket and also the chopping and changing as far as coaches are concerned.
Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga said that government meddling was ruining the game in the island nation.
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene (left) has led Sri Lanka from the front in the tri-series
The recently-conducted elections were not controversy-free, with allegations of 'interference from the top'.
On top of that, coach Geoff Marsh was sacked just four months into the job despite helping Sri Lanka register their first win in South Africa.
Marsh was stunned after being replaced by South African Graham Ford, saying he was never given a reason for the removal.
Originally Posted at : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2105137/Sri-Lankan-World-Cup-Cricket-team-rise-field-challenges.html#ixzz1nAiCyHrK
