'I am Sorry, It won't Happen Again': Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka makes Sensational Apology after recent Outburst

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Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka apologized to the fans for his previous comments, where he spoke about negativity from the fans and asked for government intervention.

Shanaka recently called for government intervention to curb excessive "outside negativity" following the team's disappointing exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Amid heavy criticism after losses, he highlighted its toll on players' mental health and the sport's future in the country.

"As players, it's very hard for us to control the outside noise. Most of the time, we mainly hear negative stuff, so no matter how positive we are, there is a negative environment created from the outside," Shanaka said after a defeat.

He emphasized the broader impact: "That's a disadvantage for cricket in Sri Lanka. We only have this game. Why is the negativity being spread like this? Okay, we lost a World Cup; we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns. More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore."

Shanaka appealed specifically for future generations: "We will play and leave, but if for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity] that's better for their mental health... 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."

Dasun Shanaka makes U-Turn

On Saturday, Sri Lanka put in a valiant effort against Pakistan and lost the match by just 5 runs while chasing 213. Dasun Shanaka played a brilliant knock of 76 runs in just 31 deliveries, but failed to take his team home. And after the match, Shanaka made a U-Turn from his previous comment and apologized to the fans.

"Sometimes as players, we feel the pressure as well, so it was a mistake by me. I want to say sorry to all the fans for disheartening them. I'll make sure I won't do that again. I am not alone but all the players are thankful for each and everyone who has been right behind us all over the years. So yeah, I feel very disheartened about that," Shanaka said at the post-match interview.

Along with Sri Lanka, Pakistan also got eliminated as their win was not enough due to an inferior Net Run Rate compared to New Zealand.