The Sri Lankan cricket board confirmed on Thursday that South African Mickey Arthur has been hired as head coach for the next two years. The 51-year-old veteran of the game has a distinguished resume, having served as the head coach for the national teams of Pakistan, Australia, and South Africa.
Following a string of poor performances and a premature exit from the 2019 50-over World Cup, Chandika Hathurusingha came under fire, prompting Sri Lanka Cricket to bring in former fast bowler Ratnayake as a temporary replacement in August 2019.
SLC Secretary Mohan stated that the board is thrilled to have secured Mickey Arthur, highlighting his reputation as a world-class coach with experience across multiple nations. At the same time, SLC President Shammi noted that Hathurusingha is no longer part of the organization, without providing additional specifics.
Arthur joins Sri Lanka after his short-term T20 contract with New Zealand ended. He previously led Pakistan starting in 2016, overseeing a golden era where they won the 2017 Champions Trophy and climbed to number one in the ODI and T20I rankings. However, his tenure ended after Pakistan failed to make the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
The SLC also revealed that Arthur will be supported by a strong coaching team: Zimbabwe's Grant Flower will handle batting, while Australians David Saker and Shane McDermott will take charge of bowling and fielding, respectively.