Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former South African opener Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of the men’s national team on a two-year contract Kirsten, 58, is set to begin his term on April 15, with his primary responsibility being to guide the team's preparation for the 2027 50-over World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia
This Kirsten appointment brings a wealth of high-level experience to the Sri Lankan side. He famously coached India to victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and later guided his home nation of South Africa to the top of the world rankings in all formats of the game in 2013 His most recent international coaching position was a six-month tenure as the head coach for Pakistan's limited-overs teams, a role he resigned from in October 2024
As a player, Kirsten had a distinguished career for South Africa between 1993 and 2004. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-Day Internationals, amassing over 14,000 international runs combined, including 21 Test and 13 ODI centuries Sri Lanka Cricket has tasked him with leveraging this extensive playing and coaching background to build a competitive squad for the upcoming World Cup cycle
ISN MEDIA