The legendary speedster Lasith Malinga has been named as Sri Lanka's bowling strategy coach ahead of the Australia tour which is slated to commence from June 7 with a three-match T20I series.
A white ball legend in his own right and one of the greatest T20 bowlers, the 38-year-old had held the same role with the national team when the team toured Australia in February this year for a white ball series.
"Malinga, during the tour, will support Sri Lanka’s bowlers, providing tactical insight and technical expertise to help the on-field execution of strategic plans," a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) press release said.
While Sri Lanka had lost the series 4-1, the bowlers managed to limit the scoring with the Australian batters restricted to a high total of 164/6 across the five games.
"Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that Malinga's vast experience and renowned death-bowling expertise, especially in the T20 format, will help the team immensely going into this all-important series," the release added.
Malinga retired from all forms of the game in 2021. He served as the fast bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the recently-concluded Indian Premeir League. The former champions finished runners-up.
Sri Lanka play three T20Is, followed by five ODIs in Colombo and Pallekele. Post the limited overs series, the two sides will play two a couple of Tests against in Galle. Cricket Australia had been monitoring the ongoing unrest in the island, sparked by an economic crisis, but they were always confident the tour would go ahead as planned.
Malinga served as bowling mentor of Mumbai Indians, back in IPL 2018, and more recently, was Rajasthan Royals' fast-bowling coach, in 2022. The Sanju Samson-led Royals reached the final of the tournament for the first time since winning the trophy in 2008 but lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets. Through the course of the season, several Royals players, including the likes of Trent Boult, praised Malinga for his ability to simplify the art of T20 bowling.
Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for Australia series:
Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Nuwanidu Fernando, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lakshan Sandakan.
