Barry Richards: Sri Lanka can win the World Cup

South African great, Barry Richards, speaking after a two week coaching stint, believes that Sri Lanka have got what it takes to win the 2003 World Cup.

This was Richard's second visit to Sri Lanka as the expert batting coach. His first was in 1998 before Sri Lanka's visit to South Africa.

Richard's, one of the best batsman to have graced the game, spoke exclusively with CricInfo, discussing various issues, ranging from the technique of the Sri Lankan batsmen, to the challenges that lie ahead.

Here are the excerpts of that interview.

Q: How do you feel at the end of your second visit to Sri Lanka as the expert batting coach?

A: Well, you say the second time, but on the previous occasion I was involved whilst I was commentating and I couldn't dedicate my full attention to the side. On this occasion I was with the team all the time and I really enjoyed it. Basically, I touched on the technique of the players and was also discussing about some of the mental aspects of the game. They have learnt from this and hopefully they'll improve.

Q. When you say you were discussing about the technique of the players could you elaborate on what particular aspects you touched?

A. Each individual player has a few things that he has to get right. For some it's the foot movement, with some of the players it's the handwork, for others it's the grip of the bat. The players are international cricketers and they just need a little bit of fine-tuning.

Q. Would you like to point them out?

A. I have chatted with every individual about the things they tend to neglect. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to discuss the specifics. It's a confidential thing between them and the coaching team. If that information is put into the public arena then others can do the planning.

Q. After the World Cup in England do you see any improvement in the Sri Lankan side?

A. After 1999 they have become more battle hardened. They don't back away. Their fielding has improved, but still we have to work on a few areas. Fitness is looking good as well. Now that few fast bowlers are coming up, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Q. Why do you think the Sri Lankan team has failed to deliver the goods in the South African and Australian conditions?

A. When the team goes to these countries they come across fast bowlers who have the ability to bowl in the area of 130-140 kmph. They have to come up to a level where their batsmen are able to play that kind of fast bowling. You also have to look hard at your game plan - you cannot go too hard at the beginning. If you do that you'll end up losing early wickets. Planning has to be a bit different in those conditions. They got to develop a few allrounders as well. Two things that I am slightly disappointed are about the use of slower balls and yorkers. They have not worked on this, but they need to if they are going to come good in those conditions.

Q. Having realised some of these problems the Sri Lankan board has shown interest in preparing fast wickets. How do you look at that?

A. That's a step in the right direction. Preparing wickets with some grass will help, especially with a few fast bowlers like Dilhara Fernando around. The bouncy tracks will surely help them to adapt better to South African conditions. It's an important step in the development of their cricket. If they continue to do that then Sri Lanka will be the first Asian country to do well in hard and fast wickets.

Q. Who do you think is the best Sri Lankan batsmen?

A. Marvan (Atapattu) is the best technician and Sanath (Jayasuriya) is devastating with his short arm jabs and pull. Mahela (Jayawardene) is the best all round the wicket. They've got a good blend of everything to make them a good cricket team. In my mind Mahela is the best young batsman in the world without a shadow of a doubt. He's only 24 and has got a good ten years of international cricket ahead of him. He will be a real force to reckon with.

Q. What are Sri Lanka's chances in the World Cup?

A. I think four teams are capable of playing the devastating cricket necessary to win the World Cup and the Sri Lankans are one of them. When you are talking about the 2003 World Cup it needs good planning, commitment from the team and lot of team spirit. With a bit of luck they can win. Their fielding has to improve by five percent. If you compare Sri Lanka with the best fielding sides like Australia and South Africa, they are slightly behind them. They have also got to improve on the running between the wickets.

Q. You also worked with the Sri Lankan A side during your short stay, do you think the youngsters in the A team have got the ability to replace the seniors?

A. I was a bit disappointed with the quality in the A team, especially in the bowling department. A lot of work has to be done with the seam bowlers. They were disappointing. Generally the gap is too big between A team and the national team.