Arjuna Ranatunga offered a direct opinion on the state of cricket ahead of the India-Sri Lanka Test series in August. The 1996 World Cup-winning captain said T20 cricket has reduced the skills of players throughout the region, including India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He noted that the focus has shifted to power-hitting because that is what fans prefer. Ranatunga argued this change has left a generation of batters without the technique needed for red-ball cricket. He no longer sees players matching the standards of Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Sachin Tendulkar or Mohammad Azharuddin. He also questioned whether current stars will guide younger players as his seniors once guided him. Ranatunga said technique and commitment have declined in the franchise era, with players now resting minor injuries for club deals instead of playing through pain for their country. He described the present Sri Lankan side as more talented than his 1996 team, except for Aravinda de Silva, whom he called the greatest talent the country has produced. On India’s current team without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he said his old bowling attack would dismiss them twice. Regarding teenage player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ranatunga advised letting the youngster remain a child.
