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Thursday March 28, 2024

Sri Lanka sports minister asks SLC to overhaul team’s coaching staff

By Agencies
July 18, 2019

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is likely to completely overhaul the national team’s coaching staff following the side’s upcoming home One-day Internationals (ODIs) against Bangladesh.

The move, which had been mooted for some time, was all but confirmed after local media reported that Sri Lanka’s sports minister had demanded the resignation of all members of Sri Lanka’s coaching staff.

“We’re looking at that same line, but we (the board) will see what we can do when we come back. We first need to talk with the minister,” SLC president Shammi Silva, who is presently out of the country, stated when questioned on the minister’s demand.

The move is the most overt instance of government intervention in SLC affairs in recent times, and it remains to be seen how this will impact Sri Lanka’s upcoming series against Bangladesh which is set to start on July 26. Silva doesn’t feel the team will be unduly affected by the news.

“The team has nothing to do with the coaching staff. It only becomes a problem if the players have bonded with the coaches. I don’t think it will affect the tour.” Sri Lanka’s coaching staff currently consists of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, batting coach Jon Lewis, and fielding coach Steve Rixon, though according to Silva there is room for some of them to be retained.

Both Rixon and Lewis had joined up with SLC up until the end of the 2019 World Cup, and as such their contracts are up for renewal. Rixon’s impact has been particularly lauded by SLC, as the board is happy with the team’s fielding performance at the World Cup. However, according to Silva, Rixon is not keen to continue in the role.