Ian Bell becomes Batting Coach of Sri Lanka

Former England cricketer Ian Bell has been appointed as Sri Lanka's batting coach for their upcoming three-match Test series against England. The announcement was made on Tuesday, with Sri Lanka Cricket emphasising Bell's extensive experience from his 118-Test career for England as a key factor in the decision.

"We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there," stated Sri Lanka Cricket's chief executive, Ashley de Silva. "We believe his input will help our team in this crucial tour."

This appointment comes as part of broader changes within Sri Lanka's coaching staff. Last month, former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya was named as the interim head coach, following the resignation of Chris Silverwood, who stepped down for "personal reasons" after Sri Lanka's early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Jayasuriya, who played 586 international matches for Sri Lanka and contributed with 42 centuries and 440 wickets, will lead the team until a full-time head coach is appointed. His vast experience and previous success as a player are expected to be invaluable during this transition period.

Chris Silverwood, who took over as head coach in April 2022, had early success with Sri Lanka, including winning the T20 Asia Cup that same year and reaching the final of the 50-over Asia Cup in 2023. However, the team's performance in recent ICC tournaments, including failing to progress beyond the group stages in the T20 World Cup 2022 and the 50-over World Cup 2023, led to his departure.

Ian Bell's appointment is seen as a strategic move to leverage his familiarity with English conditions, which could provide Sri Lanka with a crucial advantage as they face England in the upcoming Test series.