Former Sri Lankan cricketer reappointed as USA head coach
Pubudu Dassanayake previously served as head coach of the USA from 2016 to 2019
DALLAS: USA Cricket on Thursday announced the reappointment of former Sri Lankan international Pubudu Dassanayake as head coach of the men's national team.
Dassanayake succeeds former Australian batter Stuart Law, who stepped down late last year after leading the USA during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.
The 54-year-old previously coached the USA from 2016 to 2019, a tenure in which he played a key role in helping the team gain ODI status and laying a solid foundation for the sport’s development in the country.
His return is viewed as a strategic move as USA Cricket begins preparations for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India.
Since his last stint with the USA, Dassanayake has coached both Nepal and Canada, most notably guiding Canada to qualify for their maiden T20 World Cup appearance, also co-hosted by the USA.
Expressing his enthusiasm about rejoining the team, Dassanayake shared his thoughts in an official statement.
“It is an honour to return and lead the USA Men’s National Team. I am proud of what we accomplished during my previous time here and I see tremendous potential in this group to reach even greater heights. I look forward to working closely with the players and staff to continue building something meaningful for USA Cricket,” Dassanayake said.
It is pertinent to mention that the former right-handed batter has played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs for Sri Lanka in the 1990s before moving to Canada, where he also represented the national team.
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