Gary Kirsten appointed head coach of Sri Lanka men's team
Kirsten is set to begin his tenure set to begin on 15 April
Sri Lanka Cricket has officially confirmed the appointment of former South African batter Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of the national men’s team, following Sanath Jayasuriya’s resignation after the T20 World Cup 2026.
Kirsten, renowned for his successful coaching stints with South Africa and India, has signed a two-year contract, with his tenure set to begin on 15 April.
He guided India to a historic victory in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and later led South Africa from 2011 to 2013, a period during which they rose to the number-one ranking in all three formats in 2013.
Most recently, the 58-year-old served as a consultant for Namibia during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Kirsten’s appointment marks his return to the international coaching circuit following a brief and challenging stint with Pakistan. He was initially appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board on a two-year contract in April 2024.
However, he resigned in October 2024 after just one major assignment: the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA, where Pakistan suffered an early group-stage exit following defeats to arch-rivals India and the United States.
Prior to his coaching career, Kirsten enjoyed a distinguished playing career for South Africa from 1993 to 2004, amassing over 14,000 international runs, including 21 Test centuries and 13 in One Day Internationals.
His primary objective with Sri Lanka will be to prepare and lead the side through to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
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