"You get frustrated. Am I angry with the players? Absolutely not. The players work as hard as anyone can ask of them. "They've been superb. Support staff have been out of this world. Brilliant. They work endless hours with planning and helping the boys. You can't fault anyone within that changing room." Sri Lanka's woeful run has continued since their first-round exit in the eight-team Champions Trophy in June followed by an embarrassing 3-2 ODI loss to minnows Zimbabwe at home.
The Sanath Jayasuriya-led selection committee has fielded 40 players in ODIs since taking over in May last year. Pothas, who took up coaching duties after Graham Ford quit mid-contract end of June, said there had been too many changes. "When you get consistency within a team of players, you will see improvements in performance," said the 43-year-old. There have been reports of a power struggle emerging after 1996 World Cup hero Asanka Gurusinha was appointed manager.
The result of the current series apart, Sri Lanka need to win at least two of the five games to gain a direct entry into the 2019 World Cup in England.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017