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Let’s make most of local coaches

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2 years ago

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Craig Howard, Sri Lanka’s new spin bowling coach, chats to Dunith Wellalage at Pallekele ahead of the three match ODI series

Rex Clementine at Pallekele

Sri Lankan cricket has been ahead of times compared to some of our Asian neighbours over the years. In our formative years, Gamini Dissanayake was convinced that the team needed a foreign coach and quite a few of them were hired including Sir Garry Sobers to help the team in early days. At a time when the board was penniless, Mr. Dissanayake had businessmen around him like Killy Rajamahendran to fund these foreign coaches.

For about a decade then, several former local players managed the affairs of the team. Then in 1994 when visionary board chairman Ana Punchihewa took over, he felt the need to have a foreign coach again. He wanted to bring in Dav Whatmore, but he was going to cost the board US$ 100,000 annually. SLC at that point had a grand bank balance of Rs. 400,000.

It is not known to many that Mr. Punchihewa’s visionary project was funded by the Australian Cricket Board. Sri Lanka were going to tour Australia in 1995 and were getting a guarantee fee of US$ 100,000. The Aussies doubled the guarantee fee and as a result the board could afford Whatmore. It is well-documented how he changed the fortunes of the team.

In recent years, we have had a few local Head Coaches. Roy Dias was at the helm when Sri Lanka won a Test match in England for the first time in 1998 and Marvan Atapattu was in charge when Sri Lanka recorded a first ever series win in England in 2014.

Between those periods we have had some excellent foreign coaches. There was Tom Moody, a brilliant man manager and Trevor Bayliss, who brought the best of several star players. Both of them took the team to the World Cup finals and stepped down.

Under incumbent Chris Silverwood, the results maybe not very much in favour of him, but what he has done is to develop an excellent set of fast bowlers. Fast bowling is one area that has shown tremendous improvement in recent years credit to the former Yorkshire quick.

India were very late to obtain the services of a foreign coach. New Zealander John Wright was their first foreign coach in 2001 and since then they have had the likes of Greg Chappell, Duncan Fletcher and Gary Kirsten.

But currently, India’s almost entire coaching staff is local. The only foreigner in their ranks is our own Nuwan Seneviratne, a throw down specialist.

Can Sri Lanka be self-sufficient too moving forward? Some of the foreign coaching staff that we have hired in recent years have been well below par.

There was a hue and cry when they brought down a fielding coach two years ago claiming he is one of the best. But it turned out to be we were taken for a ride. The national cricket team’s fielding was horrendous in the recently concluded World Cup where they spilled as many as 16 catches. The drop catches cost them dearly and the team finished ninth in the tournament and were knocked out of the Champions Trophy.

A lot of people tend to agree that we may need a foreigner as Head Coach. Nobody is denying it. Maybe you can get a qualified physiotherapist as well from overseas, but rest, surely, the locals can manage. Since the arrival of Upul Chandana as Fielding Coach, the players are showing more energy on the field and his creative drills are a treat to watch indeed.

Recently, we recruited a spin bowling coach by the name of Craig Howard. You tend to think that in a country that has produced some quality spin bowlers, surely we should be able to hire someone locally. Rangana Herath is into coaching and you wonder whether he is available to do a stint. Apart from his expertise on spin bowling, the cool-headed Herath will be ideal to the dressing room atmosphere.

This is not an effort to run down Howard. Maybe he’ll be able to help our spinners. It remains to be seen. But the fact is we have made some poor choices with our foreign coaches in recent years. The fielding coach is a case in point.

SLC needs to be commended for they have hardly interfered with recommendations of our former captain who has been calling the shots on cricket-related matters for close to three years now. But all his choices haven’t been top-notch. There have been some very ordinary ones. Let’s make the most of local coaches. And save some dollars.


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Two Sri Lanka U-19 cricketers arrested for allegedly filming women in a hotel

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3 hours ago

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2026/05/2

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Two Sri Lanka Under-19 men’s cricketers have been arrested over allegations of filming people bathing in the hotel the players were staying at, in Narahenpita, Colombo. Both players have since been released on a personal bail of LKR 500,000 (approx $1,564).

The cricketers had been arrested earlier this week after women staying at the hotel had complained that they were being filmed using mobile phones, while in their bathrooms. Sri Lanka police told ESPNcricinfo that Narahenpita police are currently investigating if any of these videos have been shared online.

Having been produced at the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court for their initial hearing, the players are next due back in court on May 25.

SLC has not announced any disciplinary measures of its own. However, the board has been in flux over the past 48 hours, with the ousting of the previous office bearers, and the appointment of the Transformation Committee.

[Cricinfo]

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Holder, Rashid and Arshad give Gujarat Titans NRR-boosting win

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1 day ago

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2026/05/1

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 3 for 28 [Cricinfo]

Jason Holder was so omnipresent that his involvement in five dismissals enabled the Gujarat Titans (GT) to bowl Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) out for 155 in Ahmedabad. Such a middling chase was right up the alley of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudarshan, but once GT lost both their openers in the powerplay, their soft underbelly was exposed once again. They needed cameos from Holder (12 off 10 balls) and their Impact Player RahulTewatia (27* off 17 balls) to get over the line, handing defending champions RCB their third defeat in IPL 2026.

Virat Kohli flew out of the blocks for RCB, hitting Kagiso Rabada for four successive fours in the second over after they were asked to bat first by GT. Even Rabada’s traditional hard length was pumped over mid-off. In the next over, Kohli charged at Mohammed Siraj and deposited him over mid-on for four more. However, when Kohli tried to charge at Rabada in the fourth over, the South Africa quick hit the deck harder and drew a top edge to midwicket. Rabada had the last laugh and gave the departing Kohli (28 off 13 balls) a death stare.

Siraj had earlier dismissed Jacob Bethell, who got another game in place of the injured Phil Salt, for a run-a-ball 5. Rabada and Siraj bowled right through the powerplay and kept RCB to 59 for 2.

Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Padidar forged a 44-run partnership for the third wicket before Holder caught the RCB captain at deep square leg in the eighth over. Doubts, however, emerged around the legality of the catch when slow-mo replays suggested that Holder may have grassed it more than once, including while sliding. The TV umpire, Abhijit Bhattacharya, perhaps deemed that Holder was in control of his movements and ultimately ruled Patidar out.

Some of RCB’s players and staff disagreed with the TV umpire’s decision, gesturing that Holder had grassed it. Kohli was seemingly remonstrating with reserve umpire Parashar Joshi after which RCB coach Andy Flower was also spotted having an intense chat with Joshi. Having waited near the boundary, Patidar dragged himself off the field.

Holder was involved in four other dismissals. He had Jitesh Sharma nicking off in the ninth before taking the catches of both Tim David (9) and Krunal Pandya (4) at midwicket. Holder claimed his second wicket when he had his West Indian compatriot Romario Shepherd holing out.

Despite wickets falling around him, Padikkal kept up RCB’s high intent and manufactured scoring opportunities by making swinging room. He top-scored for RCB with 40 off 24 balls before Rashid Khan had him chopping on with a slider.

At 126 for 7, RCB pressed the emergency switch and brought in Venkatesh Iyer as their Impact Player at a cost of a specialist bowler in Rasikh Dar. Venkatesh struggled for fluency and also copped a blow on his unprotected elbow. His 29-run stand for the ninth wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped drag RCB to 155 before they were dismissed with four balls unused in their innings.

Gill kickstarted GT’s chase by whacking Josh Hazlewood for three fours and two sixes in a 24-run over. Hazlewood had not conceded more runs in an IPL over ever. Gill pressed on to score 43 off 18 balls – the most he has scored in an IPL powerplay – before he slapped Bhuvneshwar to cover, where Kohli grabbed the fast-travelling ball with both hands.

Buttler then took over from Gill and attacked both Hazlewood’s pace and Suyash Sharma’s wristspin. Buttler cracked 39 off 19 balls before he exposed his leg stump, only for Bhuvneshwar to knock it out in the eighth over. Bhuvneshwar also removed Sai Sudharsan during his four consecutive overs. While Hazlewood leaked 56 runs in his four overs for no wickets, Bhuvneshwar ended up giving away only half as many while picking up those three wickets.

Shepherd had to step in as their fourth bowler after they had sacrificed a specialist bowler in Rasikh Dar for Venkatesh’s batting. He responded by taking out both Shahrukh Khan and Washington in one over, the 11th of the chase. Holder then diffused the tension that Shepherd had built up by hooking his first ball for six. When Holder fell in the 14th over, GT needed 15 off 37 balls. Tewatia and Rashid got the job done with 25 balls to spare.

Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 158 for 6 in 15.5 overs  (Shubman Gill 43, Jos  Buttler 39, Washington Sundar 12, Rahul Tewtia 27*, Jason Holder 12;  Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-28, Suyash Sharma 1-44, Romario Shepherd 2-30) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 155 in 19.2 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 40, Virat Kohli 28, Rajat Patidar 19, Romario Shepherd 17, Venkatesh Ayer 12, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar 15*; Mohammed Siraj 1-38, Kagiso Rabada 1-44, Arshad Khan  3-22, Rashid 2-19, Jason Holder 2-29) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Akash stars as Josephians spin their way to title

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1 day ago

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2026/05/1

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St. Joseph's College clinched the Under 19 Division I cricket title with a first innings win over Royal College.

A superb display of spin bowling led by Sri Lanka Under-19 spinner Vigneswaran Akash powered St. Joseph’s College to a first innings victory over Royal College in the Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket final concluded at the P. Sara Oval on Thursday.

‎Defending a formidable first innings total of 443, the Josephians relied on their spinners to dismantle a strong Royal batting line-up, eventually bowling them out for 378 to secure the title on first innings.

‎The spin trio of Akash, Vishwa Peiris and Nushan Perera shared all ten wickets between them, maintaining tight control throughout Royal’s reply. Leading the charge was Akash, the Jaffna-spinner, who delivered a match-winning performance with five wickets for 136 runs in a marathon spell of 44.2 overs.

‎Akash’s key breakthrough came when he removed his Sri Lanka Under-19 captain Vimath Dinsara, who top-scored with a valiant 95. Dinsara, along with Ramiru Perera (90), kept Royal in contention with a strong fourth-wicket stand after early setbacks.

‎Royal showed resilience through several useful contributions. Rehan Peiris made 43, while Dushen Udawela added 45. However, the Josephian spinners struck at crucial intervals to halt any momentum, with Peiris claiming three wickets and Perera chipping in with two.

‎Earlier, St. Joseph’s built the foundation for victory with an imposing 443 in their first innings. Senuja Wakunegoda led the batting effort with a magnificent 123, supported by Rishma Amarasinghe (73), Chethina Kavinda (78), Dilpa Maduranga (56) and Nushan Perera (54). For Royal, Mahiru Kodithuwakku and Himaru Deshan claimed three wickets apiece.

‎Despite a spirited batting effort, Royal ultimately fell short against a disciplined and relentless spin attack, as St. Joseph’s celebrated a well-deserved championship triumph.

(RF)

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