NewKerala.com

Sri Lanka's Coaching Shakeup: Why Wood, Ferdinands Join Rotational Team Setup

Sri Lanka Cricket has clarified its new coaching structure that will operate on a rotational basis. Four coaches will now work with the men's national team tour-by-tour rather than being assigned permanently. This system allows Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands to join existing coaches Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge in a shared responsibility model. The executive committee will decide which coaching combinations accompany the team for each upcoming series.

Key Points: Sri Lanka Cricket Implements Rotational Coaching System for Men's Team

  • Julian Wood appointed as lead batting coach after impressing in power-hitting program
  • Rene Ferdinands brings biomechanics expertise from BCCI and NZC roles
  • Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge retain roles despite recent criticism
  • Rotational system allows coaches to work across all national teams
  • Executive committee will decide coaching assignments tour-by-tour
  • Unusual coaching model similar to South Africa's high-performance approach
3 min read

Wood, Ferdinands, Kandamby and Wijetunge to work with SL's men's team tour-by-tour, rotational basis

SLC introduces tour-by-tour rotational coaching with Julian Wood, Rene Ferdinands joining Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge in national team setup.

"Across the board, there are national teams, no? So on a rotational basis, tour by tour, we will decide who will be joining the teams. - Ashley de Silva, SLC CEO"

Colombo, October 30

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Thursday clarified that the appointments of Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands as lead national batting and bowling coaches would not affect the roles of Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge in Sri Lanka Cricket's coaching structure, saying that each coach would link up with the men's national side on a "rotational basis".

Wood has been brought up to the national side lead batting coach post for a year-long deal after a "power-hitting programme" earlier this year, with various national squads and players left impressed by his inputs. Also, Ferdinands, a biomechanics expert, had worked with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) National Cricket Academy and also served as a biomechanics consultant with New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de Silva said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "All these coaches, they are not being specified to say that they would be working with the national team. They work as the national coaches, but that does not mean they should work solely with the men's national team."

"Across the board, there are national teams, no? So on a rotational basis, tour by tour, we will decide who will be joining the teams. That's how the high-performance centre operates now. That does not mean that each person would work only with a particular team. Other than the head coach and a few other members, the rest of them would be rotated."

This rotational setup is very unusual worldwide, with South Africa coming closest to it, as their lead batting and bowling coaches, Imran Khan and Paul Adams, get occasionally deployed with the national sides across the board, but most of their work takes place at the high-performance centre.

Kandamby, who played 39 ODIs and five T20Is for Sri Lanka from 2004-14, has been Sri Lanka's men's team batting coach since December 2023, and Wijetunge has served as a spin-bowling coach for the last 19 years, having been appointed back in February 2006. Their roles came under heavy criticism after Sri Lanka lost a T20I series against Bangladesh, but the board backed them to continue in their roles.

"They (the men's team batting and spin bowling coach) work in the organisation, it is not that their contracts have been terminated," the CEO said. "It does not matter wherever they have been assigned; they should be prepared to work."

"Even they [Wood and Ferdinands] have been designated the same way, so they would be working across the board. Depending on the tours, we, the ExCo [executive committee] will decide who should go on tour," the CEO added.

SL's next assignment is an ODI series in Pakistan in November, followed by a T20I tri-nation series involving Zimbabwe there. As per Silva, no decision has been taken on which coaching pair will go on the tour.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I'm a bit concerned about this rotational system. Cricket teams need consistency in coaching relationships. How will players build trust and understanding with coaches who keep changing? 🤔 Hope SLC knows what they're doing.
A
Arjun K
Ferdinands' experience with BCCI and NZC is impressive! Our bowlers could benefit greatly from his biomechanics expertise. Good to see SLC bringing in international expertise while retaining our local coaches like Wijetunge who has 19 years of experience.
S
Sarah B
As someone who follows cricket across countries, this is quite innovative! South Africa's model has shown some success. Hope this brings the best out of both foreign and local coaching talent. Excited to see how this impacts SL cricket performance!
V
Vikram M
Respectfully, this feels like a compromise solution after the Bangladesh series loss. Instead of proper accountability, we're getting rotational coaches. Sometimes you need to make tough decisions rather than finding middle ground. Just my honest opinion.
K
Karthik V
Good move! Our cricket needs fresh ideas and modern techniques. Wood's power-hitting program seems promising for our batsmen who struggle with strike rates in limited overs. Hope this rotational system brings the best of both worlds! 👍

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50