Cricket: SLC appoints Thilan Samaraweera as Batting Coach

Sri Lanka Cricket has roped in former Sri Lanka Test cricketer Thilan Samaraweera as the batting coach of the national team until the 2019 World Cup. 

He has been given a two-year contract.  

Samaraweera, (40) will replace Hashan Thilakaratne who was team’s batting coach during the Pakistan series. 

After his retirement from active cricket, Samaraweera migrated to Australia and took up to cricket coaching. 

He has had several stints with various teams including Bangladesh national team as their batting coach.  

“He will be our head batting coach up to 2019 World Cup,” said Sri Lanka Cricket President Thilanga Sumathipala.   

His first assignment will be the upcoming tour of India where Sri Lanka will play three Tests, three ODIs and three T20 Internationals.  

Samaraweera who represented Sri Lanka in 80 Test matches started off as an off-spinner but soon became a solid middle order batsman. 

He scored over 5000 Test runs at an average of 48 since making his debut in 2001.  

However, Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to appoint a permanent head coach after Graham Ford parted his ways in June. 

Nic Pothas is in charge in the interim but board is currently in the process of appointing a successor.   

“We will appoint a permanent coach probably after the end of the Indian series. Nic Pothas will be our coach for the forthcoming tour as well,” Sumathipala added.