By way of results, it was the worst performance in a one-day tournament by the world champions. They have never lost more than two matches in any single tournament. In South Africa, Sri Lanka lost four out of six qualifying games.
The failure of our cricketers in the tri-series which also featured host South Africa and Pakistan, have brought home the stark truth, if Sri Lanka are to get anywhere close to defending the World Cup which they won quite handsomely at Lahore two years ago, preparations for it must start right now. Countries like South Africa, Australia, India and Pakistan have already begun preparations by experimenting with new blood.
First and foremost, Sri Lanka should abandon the idea of trying to become the best Test-playing nation by the year 2000 and concentrate solely in trying to defend the World Cup. All the energies of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board should be focused on achieving that objective.
One-day cricket is what Sri Lanka are masters at and one-day cricket it should be, until such time, we can unearth a couple of match-winning bowlers who are capable of taking 20 wickets and bring us victories constantly.
The amount of Test cricket Sri Lanka play today is hardly sufficient for them to make the advance that is necessary to become the best Test-playing nation in the next millennium. In comparison to the 11 Tests they played in 1997, the current year will feature less Test matches. Originally, it was to be eight, but with the New Zealand tour itinerary here threatened to be reduced from the original three Tests, Sri Lanka are bound to fall further short of Test matches for the year. Already they have finished half the quota (2 v Zimbabwe and 2 v South Africa). What is left is the Tests against New Zealand and the one-off Test against England at the Oval in August.
In the abbreviated game, Sri Lanka have at least another six one-day competitions in which to prepare a team that could successfully defend the World Cup in England in May next year. The tournaments lined-up are: 1998 : June/July - Independence Cup in Sri Lanka, August - Triangular tournament in England, October - ICC knockout tournament in Bangladesh, November - Champions trophy in Sharjah, 1999 : January/February - World Series Cup in Australia, March/April - Triangular tournament in India.
What must be foremost in the minds of the national selectors is that names don't mean anything. What matters most are the players who can successfully contribute towards making the team into a winning combination. If that policy is adopted, Sri Lanka cannot go to England within a year from now with the same players who won the World Cup for them in 1996. To do so would be inviting disaster.
The nucleus of the side should be built around the captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who should be given the task of defending the world title which he so magnificently won for Sri Lanka in Lahore two years ago. May be some of the Cup winning players could be retained depending on their fitness and form, but if Sri Lanka hope to achieve the same level of fielding which they are renowned for, a few youngsters will need to be thrown in.
Effective changes will need to be made gradually during the forthcoming tournaments leading up to the World Cup, so that the correct combination is found to successfully counter the conditions which Sri Lanka will experience in England. The tour to England in July this year which also comprises a triangular one-day tournament with South Africa and the host country will give the Cricket Board enough food for thought to arrive at the right combination.
As the defending champs, Sri Lanka cannot become a laughing stock in front of a full house at Lord's on May 14, when they play hosts England in the opening match of the 1999 World Cup. What matters at the end of the day is that you won.
Sri Lanka will need to adopt a totally different strategy to that which won them the World Cup in 1996. Pinch hitting which played a decisive part in Sri Lanka's triumph, seems to be going out of fashion with nation's like South Africa strangling the opening batsmen with their accurate bowling and attacking field placings.
Master pinch-hitter Sanath Jayasuriya was reduced to a mere mortal during the competition and his strike rate which has always hovered above the 90 and 100 mark, was brought down to 71.
The tour in many ways has brought to light many deficiencies in our style of play, which was ideal in the sub-continent, but disastrous outside it.
Since winning the World Cup, Sri Lanka had lived upto their reputation as one-day kings by accomplishing a series of one-day victories. But if one carefully analyses the number of tournaments Sri Lanka have been successful in, all of them have been achieved either at home, in India or in Sharjah, where the pitches are slow and conducive to spin.
One stark truth is that South Africa have become the world champions' nemesis. Sri Lanka have since winning the World Cup, failed to win any of the three tournaments where South Africa have figured in - the Kenya Cup in Kenya, Independence Quadrangular Cup in Pakistan and now, the Standard Bank One-day triangular in South Africa. On all three occasions, South Africa have emerged champions.
What is outstanding about the Proteas is there total commitment to be the best in every sport. They are trying to catch up on lost time when they were in the sporting wilderness because of the country's apartheid policies. Winning means a lot to them. Their failure to win the '96 World Cup has made them more determined to do it the next time, in England and then possibly defend it in the year 2002 when they host it.
The South African tour exposed Sri Lanka's deficiency against fast and bouncy pitches, which is a far cry from the slow turning pitches prepared at home. The only two victories they achieved in the tournament were on pitches similar to home.
The English wickets will not be similar to that encountered in South Africa, but the ball will certainly wobble about in the air making it a seamers delight. With the competition kicking off in the cold of May, spin which won Sri Lanka the World Cup in Pakistan, will no longer be the key to success, but fast-medium and medium-paced bowlers.