Sri Lanka appoint Ian Bell as batting coach for England tour
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed former English cricketer Ian Bell as the batting coach for the upcoming tour to England.
Sri Lanka have confirmed former great Sanath Jayasuriya will continue in his role as men’s head coach until the end of March, 2026.
Jayasuriya has been in the top job as interim coach since Chris Silverwood departed from the role at the completion of this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June, but now wins an extension following some recent success during the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.
The former opener was in charge of Sri Lanka’s Test side for a victory over England at The Oval and two consecutive triumphs over New Zealand on home soil, while he also oversaw a successful ODI series win over India.
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Jayasuriya’s appointment will continue all the way through until the end of March in 2026, leaving the legendary all-rounder with an opportunity to lead his side at next year’s ICC Champions Trophy event in Pakistan and potentially the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as the head coach of the national team,” a statement from Sri Lanka read.
“The executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made this decision taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England, and New Zealand, where Jayasuriya was in charge as the ‘interim head coach.’. The appointment came into effect on October 1, 2024, and will remain until March 31, 2026,” it added.
Sri Lanka’s recent Test series sweep over the Kiwis saw them cement the third place on the current World Test Championship standings, with last year’s finalists India and Australia now the only two teams ahead of the island nation.
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