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Sri Lanka Cricket Appoints Van Niekerk, Gregory to Key Coaching Roles

Sri Lanka Cricket has strengthened its coaching setup by appointing Ryan van Niekerk as the National Bowling Coach and Jordan Gregory as the National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach. Both coaches bring significant international experience, particularly from their work with the Netherlands cricket team in major ICC tournaments. Their appointments follow the recent hiring of Gary Kirsten as the head coach of the national men's team. These changes come after former head coach Sanath Jayasuriya resigned following Sri Lanka's disappointing performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Key Points: Sri Lanka Cricket Names New Bowling, Fielding Coaches

  • Ryan van Niekerk appointed National Bowling Coach
  • Jordan Gregory named Fielding & Spin Bowling Coach
  • Both begin two-year contracts on April 15, 2026
  • Appointments follow Gary Kirsten's hiring as head coach
  • Follows resignation of former coach Sanath Jayasuriya
2 min read

Sri Lanka Cricket brings in Ryan van Niekerk, Jordan Gregory for key coaching roles

SLC appoints Ryan van Niekerk as National Bowling Coach and Jordan Gregory as Fielding & Spin Coach to bolster national teams' performance.

"will oversee the development of fast bowling across all national teams - Sri Lanka Cricket"

Colombo, April 2

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced a couple of key appointments to its National High Performance Center on Thursday, strengthening its coaching structure across departments.

SLC confirmed the appointment of Ryan van Niekerk as the National Bowling Coach. The former Netherlands international setup coach, who served as both bowling coach and interim head coach from 2023 to 2026, will oversee the development of fast bowling across all national teams, including the senior men's side.

Van Niekerk played an integral role in the Netherlands' participation in major ICC events, including the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and multiple T20 World Cups during his tenure. He will begin his two-year stint with Sri Lanka Cricket on April 15, 2026.

SLC has also appointed Jordan Gregory as the National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach. Gregory, who previously worked as a fielding consultant with the Netherlands Cricket, will be responsible for enhancing fielding standards and spin bowling performance across all national squads. He also brings experience from global tournaments, including the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2023. Like van Niekerk, Gregory will assume duties from April 15 on a two-year contract.

These appointments come shortly after Sri Lanka named Gary Kirsten as the head coach of the national men's team. The former South African opener has an illustrious coaching resume, having guided India to their 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup triumph and later leading South Africa to the top of the ICC rankings across formats in 2013. He most recently worked as a consultant with Namibia during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The appointment of Kirsten came after the resignation of former head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, who stepped down after Sri Lanka's poor performance at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where the Lankan Lions failed to enter the semi-finals.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Good to see Sri Lanka investing in their coaching structure. As an Indian fan, I remember how transformative Kirsten was for our team. Hope he can work similar magic for the Lankan Lions. They have so much raw talent that needs proper guidance.
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Aman W
While foreign coaches bring new ideas, I hope SLC doesn't neglect developing local coaching talent in the long run. Jayasuriya is a legend, but maybe they needed fresh perspective after the T20 WC disappointment. The Asia Cup rivalry just got more interesting! 😄
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Sarah B
Ryan van Niekerk did impressive work with the Netherlands. Their bowling attack was quite disciplined in the last World Cup. If he can bring that structure to Sri Lanka's fast bowlers, they could become a real threat again. Good appointment on paper.
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Karthik V
Sri Lanka's spin bowling has been their traditional strength. Curious to see what a fielding consultant from Netherlands can teach them about spin. Fielding definitely needs improvement though - they've dropped crucial catches against us in recent series.
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Michael C
Respectfully, I'm not fully convinced. Hiring coaches from associate nations when you're a full member test-playing country with such rich history? Hope it works out, but feels like a budget option. The real test will be how they perform in India next year.
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