Sri Lanka have officially appointed Gary Kirsten as their new head coach. The former South African opener with rich coaching experience will take charge on April 15 on a two-year contract until April 14, 2028.
Kirsten is coming in at a time when Sri Lanka cricket is seeking success and consistency in all formats of the game. Kirsten’s predecessor, Sanath Jayasuriya quit his role after Sri Lanka failed to qualify to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Kirsten was coach of the Indian team when they won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. During his tenure, South Africa became the No. 1 Test team. He was also the consultant for Namibia during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
During his playing career, Kirsten was the first cricketer from South Africa to play 100 Tests. A legendary batter who has scored more than 14,000 international runs.
Kirsten would look to make an impact when he takes charge and join the league of non-Sri
Lankan coaches who have made significant contribution to the island nation’s cricketing
history. Dav Whatmore was the coach when Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup; Tom Moody and
Trevor Bayliss were coach when Sri Lanka reached World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011. Chris
Silverwood was the most recent foreign coach before Jayasuriya took over as interim and
then as full-time coach in 2024.
Jayasuriya resigned as head coach at the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026, and he will now lead the High Performance Centre. Sri Lanka did well at home under Jayasuriya’s leadership, where the won an ODI series against India in 27 years.
“Appointment of the new head coach is part of Sri Lanka Cricket’s efforts to revamp the structure of the National High Performance Center,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stated in a media release.
Kirsten’s appointment comes at a time when the 2027 ODI World Cup would be played in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and this may have influenced his hiring. However, SLC would expect that Kirsten help build a winning culture like he did during his time as coach with India and South Africa.
