Bharat Arun, Jonty Rhodes join Sri Lanka’s coaching set-up

Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed former India fast bowling coach Bharat Arun and former South African batter Jonty Rhodes to their coaching set-up. The SLC has also appointed former Sri Lankan physiotherapist Alex Kountouri in a coaching role.

Sri Lanka are taking on Zimbabwe in a white ball series at home. They won the three-match ODI series 2-0, while the T20I series is tied 1-1. The deciding game is being played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

On Thursday, January 18, the SLC board released a statement to announce the new appointments for the national team.

“Sri Lanka Cricket decided to obtain the services of some of the best-known talents in international cricket to provide advanced training for local coaches, trainers, and physiotherapists to enhance their skills and competencies by conducting periodic training programmes in selected areas,” an SLC release stated, as quoted as saying by Sportstar.

Further, as per a report in Cricbuzz, the Sri Lankan board has also decided to introduce an award with the aim to recognize and compensate junior cricketers who perform exceptionally well in Sri Lanka's school cricket tournaments. The awards will be given at the Under-15 and Under-17 level..

A decision to raise the match fees of players participating in the National Super League was also said to have been taken at an Executive Committee meeting of the SLC.

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More about Bharat Arun and Jonty Rhodes

A former India pacer, Arun played two Tests and four ODIs, claiming five international wickets. He also claimed 110 wickets in 48 first-class matches at an average of 32.44.

The 61-year-old gained prominence while serving as India’s bowling coach during Ravi Shastri’s tenure as head coach.

Arun is credited for mentoring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj among others. He's the bowling coach of the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

Rhodes, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the greatest fielders in game history. He represented South Africa in 52 Tests and 245 ODIs, scoring 2,532 and 5,935 runs respectively.