Former Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera has been named in the New Zealand coaching staff for their T20I & ODI series in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
In an attempt to manage the workloads of players and staff of the New Zealand cricket team, the New Zealand cricket board has decided to name separate squads and coaching personnel targeting their next four tours of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, as well as the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Read: මංගල ටෙස්ට් තරගයේ දීම ශතක ලාභියා – තිලාන් සමරවීර
As a result, the 44-year old Samaraweera will join the New Zealand coaching staff for their limited over series against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
After retiring in 2013, Samaraweera began his coaching career as the batting coach of Bangladesh. He has also worked with the Sri Lanka team as the batting coach and in 2018, he joined IPL franchise team Kolkata Knight Riders as the fielding coach. During New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) hired Samaraweera as a batting consultant as he possessed a vast experience of playing against spin in subcontinent conditions.
Video – New Zealanders are easy to work with – Thilan Samaraweera
New Zealand T20 World Cup squad: Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne (injury cover).
Coaching Staff: Gary Stead, Shane Jurgensen, Luke Ronchi, (fourth coach TBA)
New Zealand squad for Bangladesh T20s & Pakistan ODIs: Tom Latham (c) (wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (ODI only), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (T20 only), Blair Tickner, Will Young
Coaching Staff: Glenn Pocknall, Graeme Aldridge, Thilan Samaraweera
New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20Is: Tom Latham (c) (wk), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young.
Coaching Staff: Shane Jurgensen, Glenn Pocknall, Graeme Aldridge, Thilan Samaraweera.
