Tim Boon, the former Leicestershire and England Under-19 head coach, has been hired by Sri Lanka Cricket on a one-month contract effective May 8 as a coach and high-performance consultant.
Boon worked alongside Duncan Fletcher as England’s team analyst during the epic 2005 Ashes win. He will work as a batting consultant for the Sri Lanka Women’s senior and A-team squads, as well as the men’s emerging team and the Sri Lanka Under-17s.
As per an SLC press release, his programme will include “technical and tactical sessions aimed at improving the players’ overall batting approach and individual performance”.
His appointment on a short-term basis comes after R Sridhar, India’s former fielding coach, conducted a “comprehensive 10-day fielding programme” earlier this month for both top men’s and women’s cricketers in Sri Lanka.
This continues SLC’s policy of recruiting overseas coaches on short-term contracts. In 2024, Rajasthan Royals’ high-performance director Zubin Bharucha conducted a brief programme with the objective of improving batting standards. Legendary ex-Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram and iconic former South Africa batter Jonty Rhodes have also been hired to run brief bowling and fielding programmes, respectively, in the last decade.
What’s next for Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka’s last assignment in international cricket was the two-match ODI series at home against Australia in Colombo in February. They could not take part in the subsequent Champions Trophy as they failed to qualify for the global event.
Sri Lanka will return to action in June as they host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. The first Test will be at the Galle International Stadium, starting on June 17. The second Test begins on June 25 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
After the two Tests, the Asian nations will lock horns in a three-match ODI series followed by three T20Is. Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka ends on July 16 with the third T20I, which will be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.