In a bold revamp, Sri Lanka Cricket hands the reins to homegrown stars Ashan Priyanjana, Nuwan Kulasekara, and Rangana Herath, reshaping the coaching landscape ahead of Gary Kirsten’s arrival.
Sri Lanka Cricket has officially decided to restructure its coaching staff, a move that brings several outstanding players born in the country into new leadership roles. As part of this strategic overhaul, former cricketers Ashan Priyanjana, Nuwan Kulasekara, and Rangana Herath are being given special opportunities within the cricket coaching department, signaling a strong push toward homegrown talent development and domestic cricket expertise.
Ashan Priyanjana has been appointed as the new head coach of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team. Meanwhile, Avishka Gunawardena, who previously held that position, has been reassigned as the head coach of the national under-19 team. Priyanjana’s distinguished service with the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) in the domestic circuit, coupled with his experience as head coach of that side, provided compelling reasons for this new appointment. His familiarity with emerging players and grassroots cricket is expected to bring fresh energy to the ‘A’ team setup.
The first challenge for the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team under Priyanjana’s guidance will be the series against New Zealand ‘A’, scheduled to begin on the island on the 2nd of next month. While these changes to the cricket coaching structure had been planned nearly a year ago, implementation was temporarily postponed due to the Twenty20 World Cup hosted by Sri Lanka. In parallel, discussions are already underway to assign new coaching responsibilities to former fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara and spin great Rangana Herath within the next week, further strengthening the coaching revamp with experienced mentorship.
All these adjustments are being made ahead of South African Gary Kirsten’s arrival, who is set to take over as head coach of the Sri Lanka national team from the 15th of next month. Consequently, several major changes have been implemented in the coaching structure of the ‘A’ team, the Emerging Team, and the Under-19 teams in preparation for his tenure. Additionally, it is reported that significant shifts are expected among the assistant coaches currently attached to the national team across various departments, based on the advice and requests of Kirsten, as part of a broader high-performance strategy.
Former head coach Sanath Jayasuriya resigned from his position after the conclusion of the last World Cup. Following several rounds of discussions aimed at securing a qualified foreign coach, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board selected Gary Kirsten for the role. Kirsten previously served as coach of the Indian national team from 2008 to 2011, culminating in India’s 2011 ODI World Cup victory during the final year of his tenure. He later took charge of the South African national team from 2011 to 2013, making a significant contribution in elevating the side to the number 1 position in the world rankings across all formats of cricket. His appointment reflects SLC’s commitment to international coaching expertise combined with local institutional knowledge.
