Harsha de Silva appointed as the head coach of Sri Lanka's women's team
Harsha de Silva announced as the head coach of Sri Lanka's women's team, on a two-year time period. De Silva had led the women's team in the past when he led the girls to one of their most successful World Cup Campaigns in 2017, before leaving to Australia for Coaching Purpose.
He has been credited by mentoring cricketer's like Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera and Sashikala Siriwardene etc. and will look to revive women's team in coming years.
A domestic right-arm seamer in his playing days, de Silva holds a Level 3 coaching qualification and had been the women's head coach at the Valley District Cricket Club in Brisbane. De Silva replaced Hemantha Devapriya in the position, and then Devapriya resigned five months before the end of the contract in June.
Among de Silva's long-term concerns will be to shake Sri Lanka out of an ODI rut that has now stretched for several years. Sri Lanka have lost 12 of the last 13 matches they have played - a sequence that stretches back to last year's World Cup. Their T20I form is marginally better, but not by much.
They had defeated Bangladesh in the recent Asia Cup - a tournament which Bangladesh went on to win - but have won only three of their last 11 T20 Internationals.
"Yes, they have been going through a rough patch recently. A few of the senior girls retiring from the game and key players sidelined with injuries have hampered our preparation and performances. But, we have some strong, young players coming through our pathway programs. The team is going through a transition period and we will be a force to reckon in world cricket in the near future.
"My short-term plan for the team would be to prepare and deliver pleasing results in the bilateral tour against India at home in September and ICC T20 World Cup in West Indies this November. Long term plan is to build a strong culture, system and structure to produce top quality players for the National Team to reach greater heights," he said.