Colombo, Mar 10 (V7N) – Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten has been appointed as the new head coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, with the tenure set to begin on April 15, 2026. The appointment was confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Monday (March 9).

According to the SLC press release, Kirsten has signed a two-year contract, which will run until April 14, 2028. The experienced coach will now focus on preparing the Sri Lankan team for upcoming international tournaments, with a special emphasis on the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, to be held in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Kirsten brings a wealth of coaching experience to his new role. He guided India to victory in the 2011 ODI World Cup and later served as South Africa’s head coach from 2011 to 2013, during which the Proteas topped the international rankings in all formats. Most recently, he worked as a mentor for the Namibia team in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

As a player, Kirsten had a distinguished international career for South Africa from 1993 to 2004, scoring 14,087 runs across formats, including 21 Test centuries and 13 ODI centuries.

SLC officials said Kirsten’s main task will be to strengthen the national squad and lead Sri Lanka to competitive performances on the global stage, with the 2027 World Cup as the primary target.

END/SMA/AJ