To keep his policy intact of recruiting all his close associates in the national team coaching staff by ignoring local coaches who are grinding themselves in domestic cricket for years, now Sri Lanka’s head coach Chandika Hathurasingha is backing Nilantha Cooray for the assistant Spin bowling coach post.
Few days ago, Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) had advertised for the assistant fast bowling, spin bowling coaches for the national team.
” Sajeewa Weerakoon, Mathumudalige Pushpkumara, Gamini Perera and Niroshan Bandarathilake were interviewed last week. Nilantha Cooray was interviewed Yesterday Through Video Conference, as he is not in Sri Lanka” a top SLC Official told Cricket Age.
However, according to sources, Nilantha Cooray’s name has already been finalized and the ongoing interviews are just for the formality.
Cooray, a 39 year old allrounder from Moors, is playing active cricket till last year. Few months ago, he played for the Maldives in ICC World Twenty20 Asia Region Qualifier-A 2018 in Kuwait. An ACC level-3 coach, he has been associated with Maldives as national development cricket coach since 2013.
More importantly, he played cricket with Sri Lanka’s head coach Chandika Hathurasingha at Moors and Janashakti and shares a close rapport with him. According to sources, few days ago Cooray went behind Hathurasingha for opportunity as provincial coach, but that thing couldn’t finalized.
It is noteworthy that After the high profile arrival of Hathurusingha December last year, SLC has become notorious for hiring coaches as per his wish. Hathurusingha’s close associate Thilan Samaraweera is Sri Lanka’s batting Coach. Few days ago, SLC hired Harsha De Silva as Women’s Team Coach!
