Sri Lanka appoint former English cricketer as batting coach for away Tests in England
In terms of the head-to-head record in Tests between England and Sri Lanka, the Three Lions hold an advantage having won 17 out of 36 matches.
Sri Lanka on Tuesday appointed former England cricketer Ian Bell as their new batting coach ahead of their upcoming tour of England, which includes three Test matches. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) made the announcement on its website, noting that Bell, who amassed 7,727 runs in 118 Test matches during his career, will join the national team later this week to begin his coaching duties.
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Ian Bell appointed Sri Lanka's batting coach for England Tests
"He will start working with the team from August 16 and remain until the conclusion of the three-Test match series," Sri Lanka Cricket said in its statement.
“We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his inputs will help our team in this crucial tour,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said.
Sri Lanka’s tour of England begins with the first Test at Manchester from August 21-25. The second Test will be played at Lord’s from August 29-September 2 while The Oval will host the third and final Test from September 6-10.
Meanwhile, England could be in a race against time with skipper Ben Stokes suffering a hamstring injury last Sunday while playing in The Hundred. Stokes sustained the injury while batting and was eventually helped off the field. He was taken for scans and was also seen walking with the help of crutches.
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Sri Lanka last played a Test series in England back in 2016. England won the three-match contest 2-0. England won the first two Tests convincingly by an innings margin, while Sri Lanka avoided a clean sweep by drawing the final game. England also won the subsequent Test series against Sri Lanka in 2018 and 2021.
In terms of the head-to-head record in Tests between England and Sri Lanka, the Three Lions hold an advantage having won 17 out of 36 matches. Sri Lanka have won 8 matches against England, while 11 games have ended in a draw.
(With PTI inputs)
Published By : Vishal Tiwari
Published On: 13 August 2024 at 18:45 IST