Mickey Arthur Appointed Sri Lanka's New Head Coach

In his first assignment as Sri Lanka coach, Arthur will return to Pakistan this month for the two-match test series, starting from December 11

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Thursday appointed South African Mickey Arthur the head coach of men’s cricket team on a two-year contract. He was recently released from his short-term Twenty20 contract with New Zealand side Central Districts and ready to take the new responsibilities. Zimbabwean Grant Flower will join his support staff as the batting coach while Australians David Saker and Shane McDermott will be the bowling coach and the fielding coach respectively, the SLC added. “We are very happy and pleased that we have been able to obtain the services of Mickey,” SLC secretary Mohan Silva told reporters. “He’s a well-known personality who has been the head coach of a number of countries.”

Sri Lanka Cricket’s new coaching appointments - https://t.co/Ft865OBnvX

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) December 5, 2019

The 51-year-old former first-class cricketer has enjoyed a more illustrious career as a head coach with the national teams of South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. “It had been three very good years with Pakistan and I needed a little bit of time away. The Sri Lankan job became available and I started discussions,” Arthur said. “I looked at the talent that’s available and that’s the key motivating factor ... to help these young players fulfil their potential.” In his first assignment as Sri Lanka coach, Arthur will return to Pakistan this month for the two-match test series, starting from December 11. Earlier, SLC appointed former fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake as interim coach in August after fallout with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who was criticised for Sri Lanka’s exit at the group stage of the 50-over World Cup in England.