Sri Lanka has appointed former South African batter Neil McKenzie as a consultant coach for their upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. With experience from 58 Test matches for the Proteas, McKenzie is expected to provide valuable insights for the Lankan Lions as they prepare for the challenging away series.
McKenzie has been appointed for a short-term role to work with Sri Lankan players attending a pre-series camp in South Africa. The players involved in the camp include Dhananjaya de Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Milan Rathnayake, Kasun Rajitha, and Lasith Embuldeniya. McKenzie will assist the players from November 13th to 21st ahead of the two-match Test series.
Sri Lanka’s CEO of cricket, Ashley De Silva, spoke about the appointment, saying, “McKenzie will bring in vital, in-depth insights about the South African conditions to help Sri Lankan players adapt to the challenge.”
The two-match Test series will kick off on November 27 at Kingsmead, Durban, with the second match scheduled to start on December 5 at St. George’s Park, Gqeberha.
The series holds significant importance for the World Test Championship final race, with five teams still vying for a spot in the summit clash at Lord’s in June next year. Both South Africa and Sri Lanka remain strong contenders.
Sri Lanka currently sits in third place in the World Test Championship standings with a PCT of 55.56, while South Africa is in fifth with a PCT of 54.17.
Sri Lanka boosted their World Test Championship chances with a recent win in England and a 2-0 home series sweep over New Zealand. Meanwhile, South Africa kept their final hopes alive by defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in an away Test series. The Proteas now control their own destiny, with four home Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the coming months.
