Gary Kirsten outlines Sri Lanka’s long‑term plan for 2027 ODI World Cup

New Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten has set out a long‑term blueprint aimed at preparing the national side for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, stressing the need to build depth and develop a squad suited to conditions in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kirsten said the challenge will be ensuring Sri Lanka have the right mix of skills, from bowlers with pace and swing to spinners and batters capable of adapting to harder, faster surfaces. While focused on the future, he underlined that results still matter and expects the team to compete strongly in every series leading into the tournament.

In his first week, Kirsten conducted what he called a “team audit” to assess the current group and plans to watch Sri Lanka A in Galle to better understand the talent pipeline. He highlighted workload management as another priority, insisting that sustained success requires a squad deep enough to rotate players effectively.