Sri Lanka cricket men’s T20 captain Dasun Shanaka has called for government intervention to address what he described as a growing “culture of negativity” surrounding the national cricket team, warning that it is affecting players’ mental health and the long-term future of the sport.

Speaking after Sri Lanka’s early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup, Shanaka accepted responsibility for the team’s performance but said sustained external criticism had created a damaging environment.

Reflecting on the tournament, he noted that mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton had worked closely with the squad and provided significant support. However, he said it was difficult for players to insulate themselves from outside pressure.

“As players, it’s very hard for us to control the outside noise,” Shanaka said, adding that despite efforts to maintain a positive atmosphere within the dressing room, players were constantly exposed to criticism from the public and on social media.

“We mainly hear negative stuff. No matter how positive we are as players, a negative environment is created from the outside. That’s a disadvantage for cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said.

In a pointed remark, the skipper questioned what he characterised as a culture of public hostility directed at the team, particularly from sections of the media.

“When you go outside after this, you will also see how many are out there holding mics to criticise. So why is the negativity being spread like this?” he asked.

Shanaka said that while the team understood the reasons behind its World Cup defeat, constant criticism did little to address underlying structural issues.

“Okay, we lost a World Cup; we know the reasons. But negativity has come forward more than rectifying the issues,” he said.

Urging authorities to take action, Shanaka said intervention was necessary at least to safeguard younger players from the psychological impact of sustained hostility.

“At least for the players coming up next, if the government could interfere and stop those, I believe that will be a great help for better mental health,” he said.