Heads keep rolling for head coach’s position
Graham Ford, Naveed Nawaz and Paul Farbrace
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is likely to hire a foreigner to replace Mickey Arthur as head coach of the national team after a decision has been made to negotiate with Graham Ford and Paul Farbrace to join ranks. This was, after the committee appointed to select Arthur’s successor decided to hire a foreigner instead of a local to be the head coach of the men’s national team. Both Ford and Farbrace had involved with Sri Lanka cricket for more than once in their careers.
SLC appointed a six-member committee headed by Mahela Jayawardena, Tom Moody, two members from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), CEO of SLC and Head of Human Resources to finalise the Head Coach appointment.
The position was advertised locally and on the SLC’s website. Out of the many names received, 17 were initially shortlisted. But South African allrounder Lance Kluesner pulled out ahead of the interview stage citing personal reasons. There were 13 foreigners and three Sri Lankans–Naveed Nawaz, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Ruwan Kalpage.
There are two school of thoughts among those deciding the appointment. With Jayawardena, now heading the coaching department as Consultant Coach, some in the committee believed Sri Lanka should settle for a local, proposing the name of Naveed Nawaz. He is currently the Bangladesh’s U-19 coach and his team won the global title in 2020.
The majority, however, felt that a foreigner was needed. Compromise has thus been reached to headhunt a new foreign coach as those that had applied had not impressed the committee. This is how Ford and Farbrace have popped into the picture again, gaining majority support. And the committee has now decided to check their availability.
Meanwhile, Jayawardena was also asked to talk to Nawaz during the U-19 World Cup as Jayawardena wants someone who speaks the same language leading the side.
Ford completed two years as Sri Lanka men’s team head coach in 2014. Despite a request by SLC to stay on for, Ford turned down the service extension at the end of his first term. Englishman Farbrace took over from Ford but his stint with Sri Lanka cricket ended in just four months as he accepted a lucrative deal with his home Board.
But under him, Sri Lanka annexed the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, their first global silverware in 18 years. The Englishman had anyway inherited a champion team that had bloomed under Ford.
Ford came back as coach two years later when SLC lured him with a four-year deal but the South African departed one-and-a-half years into his contract as cricket politics played a huge role in his exit. Being the gentleman that he is, Ford walked away with minimum fuss.
Ford is credited for his great man-management ability but after having had his fingers burned by Sri Lankan cricket politics, especially during his second term from 2016 to 2017, he may want to keep his distance. But Kumar Sangakkara who convinced him the last time to take the job, could win him over again.
When the 61-year-old was approached recently, he was not completely against the idea as he’s not attached to any team (having resigned from the Ireland job), sources said. But he had asked for more time to decide as he had personal issues to sort out.
Farbrace, on the other hand, is Warwickshire’s Director of Sport, a position he took up in 2019 when he left the England job. He gained full international experience during a stint as Sri Lanka’s Assistant Coach, supporting the Australian Trevor Bayliss, and was hugely popular with the players. Sri Lanka lost only one out of 18 matches under his watch, also winning the World T20 and Asia Cup.
The selection process will take more time than expected and this means Sri Lanka will head to Australia with Rumesh Ratnayake as the interim head coach.