(AFP Photo)
Ian Bell, the former England cricketer, has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s batting coach for their upcoming three-match Test series against England. At 42, Bell brings his extensive experience to the role, having played 118 Test matches for England, according to Sri Lanka Cricket.
“We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there,” Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said.
“We believe his inputs will help our team in this crucial tour.”
Last month, Sri Lanka appointed former captain Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim head coach, taking over from Chris Silverwood, who resigned after the team’s early exit from the T20 World Cup. At 55, Jayasuriya will serve as the temporary coach until a permanent replacement is chosen.
Sanath Jayasuriya, who played 586 international matches for Sri Lanka and accumulated 42 centuries along with 440 wickets, last appeared on the global stage in 2011. Former England coach Chris Silverwood, who resigned for “personal reasons,” according to Sri Lanka Cricket, had been with the team since April 2022.
Under his leadership, Sri Lanka won the T20 Asia Cup that year. However, the team struggled at the recent T20 World Cup, securing only one victory against the Netherlands and finishing third in their group behind South Africa and Bangladesh.
In 2023, Sri Lanka advanced to the final of the 50-over Asia Cup. Despite this achievement, they did not progress to the knockout stages in the T20 World Cup of 2022 or the 50-over World Cup held the previous year.
