Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that R Sridhar, the former fielding coach for India, will oversee an intensive 10-day fielding programme. This initiative benefits both the senior men’s and women’s teams, as well as emerging squads, premier club players, the national under-19 team, and the women’s ‘A’ team.
Sridhar, who brings extensive experience from his tenure as India’s fielding coach through over 300 international matches from 2014 until 2021, will start by working with the Sri Lankan national men’s team. “Sridhar, a BCCI Level 3 qualified coach, brings a wealth of experience,” noted the SLC statement. It detailed that his training would include fielding drills, skill-specific exercises, and simulated match scenarios to closely mirror real game conditions.
However, the women’s national team might only be partially available during this programme as they are competing in a tri-series with India and South Africa, concluding on 11 May.
SLC has previously enlisted foreign expertise for such short-term coaching programmes. For instance, in 2024, Zubin Bharucha, director of high performance at Rajasthan Royals, conducted a session aimed at enhancing batting skills. Legendary figures like Wasim Akram and Jonty Rhodes have provided similar lessons in bowling and fielding, respectively, over the past decade.
This latest effort indicates Sri Lanka’s ongoing commitment to lifting fielding standards across various levels of competitive cricket while drawing upon international expertise to complement their homegrown talents.
