Published: Jun 30, 2016, 02:19 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 30, 2016, 02:19 PM (IST)
Sri Lanka’s former batsman Thilan Samaraweera is helping some of Australia Test players ahead of tour to Sri Lanka. He is enjoying his brief stint as batting consultant at Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. He has been hired as consultant for the time frame from June to August. He has already started helping out cricketer’s like Shaun Marsh, Jackson Bird and Adam Voges as they prepare for the tour. Samaraweera will not be accompanying Australia to Sri Lanka and he is also working with Australia A team players. Earlier to this stint, he was also working the Australia Under-19 team, which they eventually withdrew from. Cricket Australia (CA) has created two turning pitches to get the feel of Sri Lanka conditions and helping the Australia batsmen based on this. ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Thilan Samaraweera: Sri Lankan encounters bizarre dismissal against Lanchashire
Samaraweera spoke to ESPNcricinfo.com and said, “At the moment I’m involved with the National Cricket Academy in Brisbane,” Samaraweera said. “I’m working with a few Test players who are not involved in that West Indies tri-series. They are just coming here to train.” Marsh further added, “I’ve had a hit on the spin wicket here and it’s very good – very similar to what you get on the subcontinent and it was a challenging net session. Samaraweera was throwing a few offies as well, and it’s been really good to chat to him and get a bit of an insight into the sort of conditions we’ll be facing in the next couple of months. He’s been helping with advice on how to play spin; he’s good to chat about that with.” ALSO READ: Thilan Samaraweera retires from international cricket
Hiring coaches as per local conditions is not a new concept for Australia. S Sriram was appointed as consultant for their A team when they had to tour to India in 2015 while the senior squad had roped in Muttiah Muralitharan for Australia Test tour to UAE in 2014. While Allan Donald this year was appointed as team’s fast bowling mentor for their tour to Sri Lanka. Australia arrive in Sri Lanka in early July which begins in Pallekele on July 26.
