Sports
Bradburn and Helmot emerge front-runners after Farbrace lets down SLC
by Rex Clementine
The expert panel of Sri Lankan Cricket that picked Paul Farbrace as Head Coach of the national cricket team have faced embarrassment after the Englishman pulled out after being named the successor to Mickey Arthur. Although SLC had officially not announced Farbrace’s name, the board had decided on him for a two year stint with former Test cricketer Naveed Nawaz functioning as his assistant. However, Farbrace told British media yesterday that he had lost interest in the Sri Lankan job.
Sunday Island learns that the former Middlesex and Kent wicketkeeper had agreed to terms and conditions to become Sri Lanka Head Coach. Farbrace on Friday had indicated that he preferred to stay on with English county Warwickshire. He is one of the leading candidates to replace Chris Silverwood as England Head Coach.
Farbrace had not applied for the Sri Lankan post and it’s quite surprising why the wise heads who were entrusted to headhunt a coach negotiated with him despite Sri Lanka already having sour relationships as he had left Colombo in 2014 just two months into his two year contract.
The six member committee that’s on the look out for a coach that includes former captain Mahela Jayawardene and Director of Cricket Tom Moody were initially keen on bringing down Graham Ford but the South African had turned down the offer due to personal reasons. Ford is said to be seeking permanent residency in Ireland and he requires to fulfill a certain time limit in Dublin to receive his PR. Ford too had not applied for the post.
Sri Lanka are now left with fewer options and there was confirmation on Friday that they would not push for Nawaz as Head Coach as he is not yet ready to take up a bigger role. That leaves SLC with two interesting choices; Grant Bradburn of New Zealand and Simon Helmot of Australia.
Both gentlemen have not functioned as Head Coach of a Test side but have built their reputation in various franchise leagues and other coaching roles.
Helmot (49) in particular has little experience as a player but has been a cricket coach for 25 years now. He has coached Australia ‘A’ and Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and had a stint as Assistant Coach with Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL.
Bradburn (55), meanwhile, had played a handful of Test matches for New Zealand. He has coaching experience with New Zealand Under-19 team and as Fielding Coach of Pakistan.
Earlier Farbrace was expected to take over before Sri Lanka’s tour of India next month. It is unlikely that the team will have a Head Coach prior to the tour of India.
Former fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake will go to Australia for the five match T-20 series as caretaker head coach.
Former Sri Lanka allrounder Shehan Jayasuriya is set to make his USA debut at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 34-year-old, who bats left-handed and bowls offspin, has been named in USA’s 15-man squad for the tournament, which is set to begin in India and Sri Lanka on February 7.
With USA Cricket presently suspended by the ICC, the squad was picked by a panel led by head coach Pubudu Dassanayake, with the selection observed by a compliance officer appointed by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
USA are in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands and defending champions India. They begin their tournament against co-hosts India in Mumbai on February 7, and then face Pakistan – whom they famously defeated in the 2024 edition – in Colombo on February 10. Their last two group matches are in Chennai, against Netherlands (February 13) and Namibia (February 15).
USA squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Monank Patel (capt), Jasdeep Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane
Time for the real quiz. As pleasing as it was for Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum to win a rare ODI series away from home – England’s first in almost three years – the true purpose of their return to the coal-face so soon after the Ashes was to help them tune up in the shortest format, with a T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka just around the corner.
England are a more confident beast in T20, as evinced by them blasting 304 for 2 against South Africa last September – the highest score in games between Full Member nations. But this series will provide important reconnaissance ahead of the World Cup, with England set to play their three Super 8s games in Sri Lanka (assuming no slip-ups in the group stage, where they face Nepal, West Indies, Scotland and Italy).
That game at Old Trafford effectively sealed the deal on Jos Buttler reuniting with Phil Salt at the top of the order (after Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett were tried earlier in the summer) and most of the line-up fills itself in from there. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson have been earmarked as the experienced frontline spin pairing, with the potential also to call on Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks; Sam Curran helps balance the side, while Jofra Archer, who was not in the original squad, is a surprise inclusion, fit to lead the seam attack after a side strain interrupted his Ashes.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, need to brush up on their T20 skills as they prepare to host a global men’s ICC competition for the first time since 2012. As Andrew Fidel Fernando, ESPNcricinfo’s senior writer out in Sri Lanka, said on the Switch Hit podcast at the start of the tour, perhaps they could do worse than learning some of the reckless habits that are second nature to their guests?
The days of Sri Lanka being a team of freewheeling mavericks at the cutting edge of the format are long gone. To pick out just one measure of their conservatism, since the start of 2025, Sri Lanka batters have scored at a rate of 8.09 per over in T20Is – quicker only than Afghanistan and Bangladesh, among Full Members. Results have been patchy, with one series win – against Zimbabwe – in that time.
They have a new captain, too, albeit an old hand in Dasun Shanaka, who previously did the job between 2021 and 2023. He officially replaced Charith Asalanka last month (though Asalanka remains in the squad) and has already found himself in the spotlight trying to explain decisions by the selectors. with Kusal Perera seemingly retained at the expense of Kamindu Mendis, despite the latter being, in his captain’s words, “a very valuable player”.
The backroom has at least been strengthened, with Vikram Rathour and Lasith Malinga among the experienced heads Shanaka can turn to. And there is still plenty to work with: the likes of Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana all dangerous talents who evoke the rebellious spirit of Sri Lanka’s golden period.
While Sri Lanka’s T20 batting has become more and more inhibited, Pathum Nissanka has ascended to the peak of his hitting powers. Five years since coming through with a first-class average in the 60s and a reputation as a classical strokemaker, he shapes as one of the players best placed to carry Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup hopes on home soil. He had his best year in T20Is in 2025, pushing his strike rate up to 149.16 and scoring a maiden hundred (although the moment was slightly spoiled by Sri Lanka slipping up against India and losing the Super Over). A 24-ball fifty in the third ODI against England, briefly firing hopes of chasing 358, showed his batting is in the right mode.
Liam Dawson comes across as someone who would rather the spotlight be pointed in completely the opposite direction, but he has steadily become a key cog in the white-ball set-up – after years of collecting winners’ medals on the fringes. Since being recalled last summer as part of England’s planning for a subcontinental World Cup, he has taken twice as many wickets (12) as he did in the first eight years of his T20I career, performing his role with aplomb as the middle-overs flannel who suffocates opposition batters.
Sri Lanka look set to field a very similar top order to that used in the ODI series – although that may not include Pavan Rathnayake, who has batted once in T20Is but won a place in the squad after his sparkling maiden hundred on Tuesday. Dushmantha Chameera returns to contention after being rested for the ODIs, but Sri Lanka might want to have a look at his back-up, Pramod Madushan, whose last T20I appearance was in 2023. Dunith Wellalage was practising his range hitting at training on Thursday and could also be in line for a recall.
Sri Lanka (possible): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage/Dunith Wellalage, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera/Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana
England named their team a day out, with Salt, the No. 2-ranked ICC batter, partnered by Buttler and Tom Banton carded at No. 4, having been apprenticing as the side’s finisher. Jacks missed the New Zealand tour with injury but is back to take over from Jordan Cox (who isn’t in the squad) at No. 7, while Jamie Overton is preferred to Luke Wood and Brydon Carse. Duckett was considered after bruising a finger during the third ODI. Fast bowler Josh Tongue could make his T20I debut at some point on the tour.
England : Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
(Cricinfo)
Nestomalt Run for Sri Lanka Marathon 2026, organised by SingleTree Events, will be held in the city of Galle on 1 February 2026, from 6.00 a.m. onwards, bringing together runners, families, and communities for a morning fuelled by purpose and energy.
Designed to be inclusive and high-spirited, the Nestomalt Run for Sri Lanka Marathon 2026 features four running categories catering to all ages and fitness levels – from seasoned athletes to families running together. The categories include: 21.1 km – Elite Run, 10 km – Challengers Run, 5 km – Fun Run, 2 km – Family Run.
More than just a race, the Nestomalt Run for Sri Lanka Marathon carries a powerful cause at its heart, with all proceeds directed to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, reinforcing the collective spirit of giving back and thriving together as a nation.
True to its legacy, Nestomalt continues to champion active lifestyles, encouraging Sri Lankans to push boundaries and take on life with Power, Strength, and Energy. By supporting initiatives like the Nestomalt Run for Sri Lanka Marathon, the brand reaffirms its commitment to uplifting communities while inspiring healthier, more active living. With energy in every step and purpose in every run, Nestomalt is set to help power a memorable start to Run for Sri Lanka Marathon 2026.
Guided by its purpose of ‘unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come’, Nestlé Lanka has been enriching Sri Lankan lives for 120 years, nourishing generations with tasty, and nutritious products across the country.
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