Gary Kirsten Appointed Sri Lanka Head Coach for Two-Year Term Gary Kirsten, the former India World Cup-winning coach, has been appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s cricket team on a two-year contract starting April 15. The decision was announced by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as part of its efforts to revamp the National High Performance Center and strengthen the national team ahead of major global tournaments. Kirsten’s tenure will focus on preparing Sri Lanka for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is set to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Kirsten, a former South Africa opener and now a seasoned coach, will remain in the role until April 14, 2028. His coaching career includes guiding India to the 2011 World Cup title during his tenure from 2008 to 2011. After India, he served as head coach of South Africa from 2011 to 2013, during which the Proteas reached the top of the world rankings across all three formats of the game. Most recently, he worked as a consultant for Cricket Namibia during the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s international performance in recent years has been inconsistent, with the team undergoing several rebuilds following the retirement of key players. As co-hosts of the T20 World Cup, they failed to advance beyond the semifinals. Kirsten’s appointment aims to address these challenges and position Sri Lanka as a competitive force in the 2027 tournament. The 58-year-old coach’s responsibilities will include overseeing the Sri Lanka National Men’s Team’s preparation and campaign for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. His playing career, spanning from 1993 to 2004, saw him become one of South Africa’s leading batters, amassing 14,087 runs across Tests and One-Day Internationals, including 21 centuries in Tests and 13 in ODIs.#south_africa #t20_world_cup #gary_kirsten #sri_lanka_cricket #icc_men_s_cricket_world_cup_2027
