By Champika Fernando

cricket

View(s):

In a significant restructuring of the country’s cricket development setup, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has carried out a sweeping overhaul of its coaching infrastructure at the High Performance Centre (HPC), with a massive reshuffling across roles.

The recommendations, which came not from the HPC’s own leadership but directly from the Executive Committee, have seen the same familiar faces being moved around the board, in the hope that these changes will contribute effectively to player development.

Jerome Jayarartne

SLC is under significant public pressure following yet another disastrous campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the officials believe revamping and restructuring its coaching apparatus could herald a new chapter.

Just days after Sanath Jayasuriya resigned as Head Coach, SLC appointed the former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten to take charge of the national team on a two-year contract, starting mid-April. With Kirsten expected to bring in his own specialists, particularly in spin bowling, fast bowling, and fielding, many of the coaches who worked with the national team over the past two years have found themselves reassigned to other positions within the HPC structure.

Among those shifted are two foreign coaches, Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands, who previously served as national batting coach and national spin bowling coach, respectively. Wood, brought on board last October as a power-hitting specialist on a one-year contract, will now serve as HPC Power Hitting Coach, covering all HPC squads including the women’s setup. Ferdinands, a biomechanics expert appointed in late September on a two-year deal, transitions to the role of HPC Spin Bowling Coach across all HPC squads, looking into the science aspect of bowling. Both men remain within the system and are expected work with all squads.

The most significant casualties of this reshuffle, however, are Jehan Mubarak and Thilina Kandamby. Mubarak, who had been serving as National Analyst, and Kandamby, the National Batting Coach, have both been reassigned to the coaching structure of the proposed National Super League, Major Clubs and Division I schools. Joining them there is Ravindra Pushpakumara, who had been working as the Fast Bowling Academy Coach. For figures of their stature and experience, being moved into a domestic league structure represents a considerable step-down. Mubarak, who previously worked as Sri Lanka U-19 coach, has informed the HPC that he doesn’t want to continue as an analyst. Batting has been a major concern of the Sri Lankan players, a reason may have prompted the demotion of Kandamby.

Perhaps the most controversial decision in the entire reshuffle is the handling of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team. Avishka Gunawardena, a highly regarded local coach, has been moved from his role as ‘A’ Team Head Coach to take charge of the Sri Lanka Under-19 side. His replacement at the helm of the ‘A’ team is Ashan Priyanjan, a 36-year-old Colombo Cricket Club cricketer, who only retired from first-class cricket last year. The appointment of someone so fresh from playing, with limited coaching experience, to a role of that significance raises questions about the thinking behind the selection.

“What we need here is to produce cricketers and Priyanjan, even though he is relatively young has produced cricketers. Avishka has been there for a while and we thought to get some fresh thinking to this important position,” explained Jerome Jayarartne, Director of Cricket.

The removal of Gunawardena from the ‘A’ team comes as a particularly sharp blow. Under his watch, Sri Lanka ‘A’ had performed consistently. Gunawardena has long been regarded as a coach who prioritises discipline, mental toughness, and modern playing techniques and his demotion has raised eyebrows across the cricketing community.

“If you look at the last five years, many of the ‘A’ team players have failed to graduate to the national team. They have won matches but what we need is to create a good feeder to the national level,” Jayaratne explained.

Priyanjan takes over a well-resourced ‘A’ team setup. His support staff will include Sachith Pathirana as Spin Bowling Coach, Manoj Abeywickrema and Upul Chandana as Fielding Coaches, former women’s team Head Coach Rumesh Rathnayake as Fast Bowling Coach, and Chamara Silva, who was previously in charge of the U-19 team, as ‘A’ Team and National Team Batting Coach. Anusha Samaranayake, formerly the HPC fast bowling coach for all squads, has also been brought in as National and ‘A’ Team Fast Bowling Coach. Priyanjan and his team will closely work with the Kirsten and his support staff.

“We will have a national pool of around 40 players and while the head coach will work with the top 20 players, Priyanjan and his support staff will work with the rest of 20 players, preparing them for national duty,” he said.

Gunawardena’s coaching team include, Omesh Wijesiriwardena (Fast Bowling Coach) and Dilruwan Perera (Spin). Jayaratne said he expects to appoint a fulltime fielding coach soon while he will utilise coaches from the HPC to do the fielding in the interim.

Elsewhere in the structure, Darshana Gamage, who served as the National Team’s Fast Bowling Coach through to the recent World Cup, has been reassigned as Emerging Fast Bowling Coach. Piyal Wijetunga, the former National Spin Bowling Coach, moves into the role of Emerging Spin Bowling Coach. Dhammika Sudarshana and Saman Jayantha also join the Emerging team as Batting Coaches.

At the women’s national level, Chamila Gamage and Sajeewa Weerakoon, formerly with the ‘A’ team, have been placed in-charge of fast bowling and spin bowling, to work with Jamie Siddons, who was appointed as Women’s Team Head Coach recently. Duminda Perera will continue to work as Batting Coach while Carmen Mapatuna will be the Fielding Coach.

On paper, this looks like a thorough restructure. In practice, it may be little more than a reshuffling of the deck, with familiar names in unfamiliar chairs and some getting a row deal.

“These coaches are contracted until December this year and then we will access their performances in respective roles to see whether they are worth retaining. They have been given KPIs and if they are not, we will take a call,” he added.

The National High Performance Centre is headed by Jayaratne with Sanath Jayasuriya joining them as Consultant. Ruwan Kalpage is the High Performance Manager looking into domestic cricket including schools.

Teams National Team  Head Coach: Gary Kirsten

    Rest of the support staff to be appointed

National Team/’A’ Team

Ashan Priyanjan: ‘A’ Team Head Coach/Batting Coach  Chamara Silva: Batting Coach Anusha Samaranayake: Fast Bowling Coach Rumesh Ratnayake: Fast Bowling Coach Sachith Pathirana: Spin Bowling Coach Manoj Abeywickrama: Fielding Coach Upul Chandana: Fielding Coach

Emerging Team

    Head Coach to be appointed on
assignment basis

Saman Jayantha: Batting Coach Dammika Sudarshana: Batting Coach Darshana Gamage: Fast Bowling Coach Piyal Wijetunga: Spin Bowling Coach  Fielding aspect is looked in by the fielding coaches from the HPC Pool

U-19 Team

Avishka Fernando: Head Coach/Batting Coach Omesh Wijesiriwardena: Fast Bowling Coach Dilruwn Perera: Spin Bowling Coach  Fielding aspect is looked in by the fielding coaches from the HPC Pool Julian Wood: HPC Power Hitting Coach Rene Ferdinands: HPC Spin Bowling Coach

NSL/Major Clubs/Division I Schools

Thilina Kandamby: NSL Coaching Structure Jehan Mubarak: NSL Coaching Structure Ravindra Pushpakumara: NSL Coaching Structure

Women’s National Team

 Head Coach: Jamie Siddons  Analysing/Consultant: Sumithra Warnakulasuriya Dumida Perera: Batting Coach Chamila Gamage: Fast Bowling Coach Sajeewa Weerakoon: Spin Bowling Coach Kaman Mapatuna: Fielding Coach

Women’s ‘A’ Team

Sampath Perera: Head Coach/Batting Coach Gayan Wijekoon: Fast Bowling Coach Vimukthi Deshapriya: Fielding Coach Sajeewa Weerakoon: Spin Coach

Women’s U-19 Team

Mahesh Weerasinghe: Head coach Ruvin Peiris: Batting Coach Anton Costa: Fielding Coach Sajeewa Weerakoon: Spin Coach Chamila Gamage: Fast Bowling Coach