Excerpts from an exclusive interview with

TOI

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What's it that attracts you to Kohli's batting?

Were you amused by the amount of sweeps and reverse sweeps being played by the Lankans in the second Test? Do you think they lack Test temperament?

(AFP Photo)

The series defeat at the hands of India is the latest setback for the Lankan team in recent times ...

How disappointing is it for you to see Sri Lanka not doing well in recent times?

What would be your suggestion to the current administrators here, considering you have a good understanding with Sumathipala?

What does the younger generation of cricketers need to do?

Dimuth Karunaratne said recently that the lack of first class cricket is ruining the game in Lanka. Do you agree?

COLOMBO: Perhaps, it was his presence at the SSC on Saturday, which enabled the Sri Lankans to go down fighting in the second Test against India. Sitting in the corporate box with Sri Lanka Cricket (SL) president Thilanga Sumathipala , Aravinda de Silva , one of the best batsmen to have come out of this island, enjoyed the Lankan fight back, but, speaking to him, you wonder if a ' Virat Kohli ' special would rather have pleased him more.It's the way he approaches his game, and also his arrogance and confidence. I think he reminds me a lot of some of the past greats like Viv (Richards). The way he took on the mighty Australians in Australia was something very special. Like Sunil Gavaskar , Kapil Dev and then Sachin Tendulkar , who all changed the complexion of Indian cricket, Kohli has it in him to take Indian cricket to a different level.They will adjust to Test cricket once they get a bit of experience. Someone like Niroshan Dickwella ('keeper-bat) who plays aggressive cricket has to continue in that fashion, and they'll learn through their mistakes. You have to allow them to play their game and learn quickly. Let's hope it happens faster than we anticipate.The SLC needs to have a proper plan and start developing these players and give them more exposure. We need to develop some bowlers who can go through the opposition batting.Well, it is very sad to see our team not winning but I think we need to seriously sit down and formulate a plan so as to take cricket in the right direction. We need to have a long-term plan.They need to give these guys confidence. You cannot entertain chopping and changing too much after every series loss. We must give them a decent run and groom players that have potential for the future. Giving them confidence is very important which is lacking at the moment.Well, the kind of aggression you need when you are an underdog, like how (Kusal) Mendis batted in this Test must be appreciated. You just need to go out there and play fearless cricket. I hope the younger generation is able to do that consistently. Like what happened with India after Kapil Dev led the country to the World Cup win in 1983.If you look at the sport around world, there is so much of crick the world, there is so much of cricket being played. There is a huge gap between the standard of first class and Test cricket everywhere you play. It is not only restricted to Sri Lanka. At the end of the day, how you nurture the talent and give them confidence is important. If that doesn't happen there won't be any talent coming up.