Sri Lanka has named former World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten as their new head coach on a two-year deal. He succeeds Sanath Jayasuriya, who stepped down following Sri Lanka’s disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup at home.
The former South African opener will lead the senior men’s team across all formats starting April 15, 2025, with a key objective of strengthening Sri Lanka’s performance ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“Kirsten’s main role will involve leading the Sri Lanka Men’s National Team in their preparation and campaign for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, set to take place in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on Monday, March 9.
“The selection of the new head coach is part of Sri Lanka Cricket’s plan to strengthen and restructure the National High Performance Center. Kirsten’s contract with the board will run for two years, concluding on April 14, 2028,” the board added.
Gary Kirsten, who recently served as a consultant for the Namibian national team during the T20 World Cup, had a challenging and short-lived tenure with Pakistan.
Appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach in April 2024, his tenure lasted only six months. His tenure was overshadowed by Pakistan’s poor performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, including unexpected losses to the USA and India.
After the tournament, Kirsten reportedly criticised the squad for lacking cohesion and professional fitness standards. He notably stated that he had never encountered a team so divided in all his years of coaching, pointing to deep-rooted issues in the dressing room.
The breaking point came when the PCB stripped Kirsten and red-ball coach Jason Gillespie of their selection authority, assigning it to a new committee. Disheartened by the interference and the changing dynamics, Kirsten decided to step down.
Reflecting on his exit in 2025, Kirsten said he was “too old to be dealing with other agendas,” leaving a coaching stint remembered more for highlighting Pakistan cricket’s systemic problems than for victories.
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