Vaas to identify Sri Lanka fast bowling talent

Sri Lanka appointed its most successful pace bowler Chaminda Vaas as a coaching consultant Wednesday, tasking him with identifying youngsters who can ease the team’s reliance on spin.

Aravinda de Silva, chairman of the board’s cricket committee, said Sri Lanka may enjoy a fine record on their own spin-friendly pitches but must develop teams to get results on a variety of surfaces.

‘We have to develop teams to win outside the country... not just on turning wickets, but to win in Australia on those fast wickets,’ he told reporters.

De Silva was speaking ahead of the third and final Test against Australia, a series which Sri Lanka have already won thanks in large part to spinners Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera.

Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers have played only minor roles in the team’s comprehensive victories in the first two Tests.

Their pace attack also struggled on the recent tour of England when Sri Lanka failed to win any of their nine international in all formats.

De Silva said Vaas, who took a total of 755 wickets in Tests and ODIs before his last appearance for Sri Lanka in 2009, would be in charge of identifying fast bowling talent around the island.

‘Vaas is keen to take a role, which we feel he will be really good at, to develop some of our young cricketers from grassroot levels,’ de Silva said.

The 42-year-old would ‘travel around the country, identify the talent out there and work with different teams and squads to get them ready for the higher level’, he added.

Vaas had a spell as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach from 2013-15 and has also coached New Zealand and Ireland.

Sri Lanka have also appointed former South African cricketer and ex-Hampshire captain Nic Pothas as the team’s fielding coach.