Sanath Jayasuriya column: A tough game for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh

I have been impressed by the remarkable improvement that Bangladesh have made in recent times and their success is further proof that if you put in a proper system, results will follow. This will be a tough game for Sri Lanka and they need to keep calm, do the basics right and seize on the opportunity.
Bangladesh have quite a few match winners - Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan - that have played lot of international cricket. They have been in the side for a while too and when you have so much experience in your side it comes in handy during crunch situations.
I also like the opening batsman Soumya Sarkar, who bats with a positive intent.
What Bangladesh did right was to put their infrastructure right and provided opportunities for player at grass root levels so that they could develop their game. The system has helped to unearth some excellent talents and with experience they have gone onto become match winners.
Their win over South Africa the other day came as a shock for many but if you really see, not many teams can match their experience.
They have won regularly at home against good teams and now they have started doing it away from home as well.
As for Sri Lanka, they should play as if that they have got nothing to lose and they should not put pressure on themselves thinking that Bangladesh have never beaten us in a World Cup.
If the weather is good, they should win the toss, bat first and put the pressure on Bangladesh. Kusal Mendis has attracted lot of criticism and what he has got to realise is that things can not get any worse for him.
His confidence must be in a low ebb but the good thing is that it can not get worse than this. Things can only become better for him and I am confident he will go onto do something special.
Not having Nuwan Pradeep will be a massive blow for Sri Lanka. He bowled so well against Afghanistan and looked as if he had turned a huge corner.
He had lot of confidence in him bowling under pressure and Sri Lanka will feel his absence. The good thing is that he has not been ruled out from the competition and I am looking forward to seeing him again.
The batsmen overall should put their heads down and bat and shouldn't pass the buck on saying that someone else will do it. If you are set, don't leave it for anyone else and go onto get a big one. Kusal Perera will be the key. If he gets going, he is going to hurt lot of bowling attacks and most Sri Lankans will be counting on him.
Overall, I am looking forward to seeing a good contest. Hopefully it will be a good wicket to bat on although so far in the competition Sri Lanka have yet to get a belter. 
 

• ICC World Cup 2020