Mickey Arthur set to become next Sri Lanka cricket head coach

Fastnews Nov 16, 2019

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – South African Mickey Arthur is all set to become the new head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team for the next two years replacing Chandika Hathurusingha although the latter has not been officially fired yet.

Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that along with Arthur they have also roped in a fielding coach Australian Shane McDermott.

Both Arthur and McDermott have been asked by Sri Lanka Cricket to travel to Pakistan with the Sri Lanka Test team later this month before officially taking over by December when their contracts will be signed.

Rumesh Ratnayake who has been playing the role of interim coach since August 2019 when Hathurusingha was suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket, will continue in his present position to Pakistan for the two Tests scheduled to be played at Rawalpindi (December 11-15) and Karachi (December 19-23).

Sri Lanka Cricket stated that they were also on the hunt for a fast bowling coach as well as a batting coach and they hope to finalise all appointments by the end of December.

Arthur and McDermott are officially due to take over their respective posts for the three-match T20 International series beginning in India in January.

Sri Lanka Cricket has been on the hunt for a new head coach after Sports Minister Harin Fernando had instructed them to replace the entire coaching staff following Sri Lanka’s failure to qualify for the quarterfinals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Sri Lanka Cricket approached several high-profile coaches including former England batting coach Mark Ramprakash, but has eventually decided that Arthur is the most suitable person to take the team forward.

Arthur was coach of South Africa and Australia but it was his tenure with Pakistan that has impressed Sri Lanka when he helped Pakistan win the 2017 Champions Trophy and also took them to the top of the ICC T20I rankings.

McDermott has been associated with South Australia and Tasmanian teams in the past as high performance coach and has been considered one of the best fielding coach’s in the Australian set up.

Sri Lanka Cricket are also hoping to revamp their entire operational structure by appointing two coaches to the High Performance Centre to oversee national cricket and international cricket. The position was left vacant with Sri Lanka Cricket not renewing the contract of Asanka Gurusinha when it ended in August.

All these appointments they hope to finalise by the end of December. (DN)