Does Liton also need better communication?

Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka captains attended yesterday's press conferences following the latter's 328-run win in the first of two Tests in Sylhet, and while they discussed Liton Das and Sadeera Samarawickrama, respectively, it highlighted the cultural gap in how the two teams handle their struggling players.

Because, after all, good management is a requirement to extract performances from players, not just sweet words. A clear message is given through words coming from selectors, team management and the captain before it is shown with action.

In Samarawickrama's case, he had enjoyed a purple patch with his white-ball performances in two major tournaments last year: Asia Cup and World Cup. His recent form, however, especially in the ODIs, was a cause for concern among Sri Lankan team management. Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva spoke openly about what they were thinking of the player's exclusion from the first Test, where Kamindu Mendis took full advantage of playing his first Test appearance since 2022, hitting tons in each innings.

"Sadeera, he's been given opportunities as well but I don't think he's made the most of them as of late. On top of that, in the ODIs he didn't score that many, so the thinking was to give him a break. He hasn't been dropped," Dhananjaya said.

The message would be clear to Sadeera, if it was not already, that he would have to work on his flaws and "refresh his mindset" to get back in touch.

"The plan is for him to work on his flaws and then give him a chance to come back into the team. That will also refresh his mindset. More than that, Kamindu has been in very good form so the idea was to get the most out of him," added the player of the match.  

On the other hand, the manner of Liton Das' dismissal on Sunday – as he charged Vishwa Fernando in the very first delivery of his innings, while the ball was still new, but only to play across the line, leading to his downfall – had caused an uproar among fans and the media.

In Liton's case, though, he had just been given one 50-over match worth of break before he came to play the Test series. Form is form, but cricket, however, is cricket. If someone is not doing well in one format, the chances of him regaining mojo in the other could be a difficult prospect in the rigours of international cricket.

Liton has a history of losing concentration, while his temperament has been difficult to fathom recently. If he has some issue to sort out, the team management knows it better than anyone else. If there is a message to be sent, it has to be concrete too.

"When he didn't play the last ODI, we were thinking of giving him a break. He is an important player for us. One of our best batters. He hasn't had a great time lately but we should be with him during this time," came Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto's reply on Liton.

Najmul's remarks reveal a key difference in culture. While Samarawickrama is being asked to correct something while still being with the squad, Liton would work with a batting coach outside the national camp.

If the objective is to see Liton return to form, it should also be discussed where he can start. The mindset aspect should have been communicated clearly. Dropped from the last ODI, confidence may already have been shaky. If he needs a proper break, in order to "refresh his mindset", it should not be because of formats only, but because he is not performing to expectations.