So, will the extra 50 calories help Lanka revive their flagging fortunes?

The banning of sugar is a standard practice in dressing rooms around the world. Waistlines have become a touchy topic in Sri Lanka ever since the sports minister derided the side for sporting big bellies. His comments made top headlines following Lanka's Champions Trophy debacle.

Sri Lankan Cricket's team manager Asanka Gurusinha confirmed that the dietary change is a decision of the team physio Nirmala and physical trainer Nick Lee. "No idea about the biscuits ban," he had reportedly said referring to a local newspaper report. 

"Just like other teams, our physio and trainer are managing the dietary requirements of the team. One of the things, they don’t want are sweets in the dressing room. At the game they have high-protein foods. That’s the change that has been brought about. But it was done before the Champions Trophy. Whatever the food that is coming into the dressing room, is handled by the physio and the trainer. Myself or Sri Lanka Cricket never gets involved in that. Even the head coach doesn’t get involved in that,” The Sunday Express quoted Gurusinha as saying after the team’s training session at Dambulla International Stadium on Saturday.

Asked how the players have reacted to the revised diet chart, Gurusinha, replied, “The players are actually very supportive of what the physio and trainer are doing.” 

Fitness, of late, has become an issue in Sri Lankan cricket, especially after their Champions Trophy group phase exit. “Sri Lanka is the only cricket team to have players with big bellies and it’s not surprising there are so many drops. Leave alone the catches, how many runs have leaked in the field,” the sports minister was quoted as saying by the local newspapers.

Malinga had responded by saying: “What does a monkey know about a parrot’s nesting hollow?” The fast bowler got a suspended one-year ban for his remarks, while the sports minister sent a directive not to include any cricketer in the national team with more than 16 per cent body fat. As per Sri Lanka’s sports law, any team that represents the country needs the sports minister’s approval.

Poor catching cost Sri Lanka a knockout berth in the Champions Trophy as Sarfraz Ahmed had been dropped twice and went on to score a match-winning 61 not out in a must-win game against Pakistan. During their 3-2 loss to Zimbabwe also, Sri Lanka had dropped a few sitters, allowing the tourists to chase down a 300-plus total at Galle. The same was the case during their first ODI against India at Dambulla on Sunday.

Gurusinha, however, played down the issue. “I feel we have over-talked it, the fitness side. These guys are pretty fit. When you lose games, they talk about a lot about fitness and everything. I think if you test our guys, our fitness standards, we would be pretty close to the Indian team fitness standards. Some may be much better.”

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