By Dhammika Ratnaweera
I am very keen to join with the National cricket team as a batting specialist coach but I am not a magician said Sri Lanka ‘A’ coach Avishka Gunawardena who was straight to join National team at Canberra yesterday (31) one day before the second test match against Australia.
Sri Lanka Cricket appointed ‘A’ team Coach Avishka Gunawardena as the ‘Batting Coach’ of the National Team, until the return of Jon Lewis, who is on leave to attend a family matter. According to the Sri Lanka cricket press release, Gunawardena will join the team on Thursday to remain with the side, until the conclusion of the 2nd test match.
Avishka Gunawardena the successful Sri Lanka ‘A’ team and Emerging team coach in an exclusive interview to the srilankasports.com said after the successful Irish cricket series he received a call from Sri Lanka cricket to get ready for the national team duty as batting specialist coach. “I am a contracted coach of SLC and if they offer any duty for coaching I have to do. I also did same specialist coach only for the one day side earlier but this time I have to work for the second test in Canberra” said Gunawardena.
Successful A team coach said that he would get nothing much to do other than to assist the head coach Chandika Haturusinghe adding that the two had got two different system of coaching. “Joining a day before a test match, it would be very hard to change the ailing batters soon, but I am sure, being along with them for a test match at a tough period, I should be able to contribute to change their playing attitude,” said Gunawardena.
Under Gunawardena, Sri Lanka A team is continuing to enjoy a good run in the international cricket and he is happy to have boosted them confidence. “Actually we can be satisfied with very good second string players, whom we have to promote to the national side. But that has to do correct time and make suitable replacements,” said Gunawardena adding that Pathum Nissanka, Milinda Siriwardena, Anjelo Perera and Kamindu Mendis had really performed well with the bat during the longer version game.
Sri Lanka A team coach insists that veteran Upul Tharanga along with some youngsters like Avishka Fernando, Angelo Perera and Kamindu Mendis had shown consistency in the recent past and and fit to be tried in the national team.
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