Sri Lanka Cricket appoints Lasith Malinga as bowling strategy coach for white ball series against Australia
India Today
Lasith Malinga had earlier worked in a consultant role with the Sri Lankan team when they visited Australia earlier this year.
Sri Lanka are set to take on Australia for a multi-format series starting June 7, 2022. The Island Nation, who currently sit at the seventh position in the World Cup Super League table, will hope to improve their position by taking advantage of the home series.
The Dasun Shanaka-led team which showed great heart against India, playing right after the T20 World Cup, will hope that they can perform well and fix on the combinations going into the T20 and the ODI World Cups to be held inside the next year.
The plans for that seem to have been put in motion already and Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former captain Lasith Malinga as their ‘Bowlins Strategy Coach’ for the white ball leg of the series against Australia. Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three T20Is and 5 ODIs against the Aaron Finch-led team.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowling legend and former captain of the ODI and T20I team, as the ‘Bowling Strategy Coach’ of the National Team for the white ball segment of the Australia Tour of Sri Lanka,” a press release from the board read.
“Malinga, during the tour, will support Sri Lanka’s bowlers, providing tactical insight and technical expertise to help the on-field execution of strategic plans. Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that Malinga’s vast experience and renowned death-bowling expertise, especially in the T20 format, will help the team immensely going into this all-important series,” the release elaborated on Malinga’s role in the team.
Notably, Lasith Malinga held the same role with the national team when the team toured Australia in February this year for a white ball series.
Sri Lanka provisional ODI squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya De Silva, Ashen Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Sahan Arachchi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Ramesh Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama
