Paul Farbrace Named New Sri Lanka Head Coach

Paul Farbrace, the former Sri Lanka assistant coach, has been appointed the new Sri Lanka coach on a two-year contract, starting on January 1.

 

The Executive Committee of SLC arrived at this decision after engagement with the committee appointed to nominate the most suitable candidate for SLC. The committee was headed by Mr. Ranjith Fernando (Chairman Cricket Committee) which also comprised Mohan De Silva (Vice President), Nishantha Ranatunga (Secretary), Nuski Mohamed (Treasurer), Sanath Jayasuriya (Chairman National Selection Committee), Ashley De Silva (CEO) and Jerome Jayaratne (Head of Coaching). The final decision  was made after much deliberation as a selection of Sri Lankan candidates showed commendable credentials as applicants to this post.

Farbrace, who will shortly finish his tenure with Yorkshire's second XI, had been one of the original 11 applicants for the job, before withdrawing, then renewing his interest in the role. He takes the job ahead of current assistant coach Marvan Atapattu and Sussex club coach Mark Davis, who had been the other shortlisted candidates.

Farbrace was assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss from 2007 to 2009, a period in which Sri Lanka rose to No. 2 in the Test rankings and progressed to a World Twenty20 final. He had left the job in order to become Kent's director of cricket, but said he had a "strong affinity for Sri Lanka" at the time of his application for the job.

He was wounded along with seven Sri Lankan players in March 2009 when a dozen gunmen opened fire on their bus in Lahore, Pakistan. He left his post four months after the attack, in which he was struck by a piece of shrapnel in his right arm, and became Kent's director of cricket. He later moved to Yorkshire, stating that he wanted to rediscover his joy in developing young players.

His first assignment will be at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in February. He will then coach the team at the next World Twenty20, which is also due to be held in Bangladesh in March-April. The current coach, Graham Ford is expected complete the ongoing series of three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Farbrace joined Yorkshire as part of a coaching shake-up which saw Jason Gillespie take over as first-team coach in 2010. His return to Headingley will be relatively swift: Sri Lanka face England in the opening Test series of the summer next June.

Good luck for the new Sri Lankan head coach Paul Farbrace.