Sri Lanka Cricket appoint Ryan van Niekerk as bowling coach

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced a major overhaul of its coaching structure, appointing Ryan van Niekerk as the national bowling coach for a two-year period. The decision was confirmed on Thursday, with van Niekerk set to oversee the development of fast bowling across all national teams.

Van Niekerk brings valuable international experience, having previously served as the bowling coach and interim head coach of the Netherlands from 2023 to 2026. During his tenure, he played a key role in the team’s growth and guided them through participation in three men’s World Cups. His expertise is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s pace attack and improve consistency across formats.

In addition, Jordan Gregory has been appointed as the national fielding and spin-bowling coach. Gregory, who previously worked as a fielding consultant with Netherlands Cricket, will now be responsible for enhancing fielding standards and spin resources at the High Performance Center. Both van Niekerk and Gregory will officially begin their roles on April 15, 2026.

Earlier, Gary Kirsten was named the new head coach of Sri Lanka. Kirsten, who famously coached India to World Cup glory in 2011 and later guided South Africa, has signed a two-year contract running until April 14, 2028. His primary focus will be preparing Sri Lanka for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be held in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

The changes come after a disappointing period for Sri Lanka. Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya stepped down as head coach following a poor run of results. The team suffered four consecutive defeats in the home ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, leading to an early exit. Additionally, underwhelming performances in the 2025 Asia Cup and a T20I tri-series in Pakistan further highlighted the need for restructuring.

With a revamped coaching setup, Sri Lanka will aim to rebuild and prepare strongly for the upcoming ODI World Cup, hoping to return to their competitive best on the global stage.