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Sri Lanka appoint Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands as batting and spin-bowling coaches

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands as the new batting and spin-bowling coaches of the men’s national team. They replace Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge, respectively, who have served in the roles in recent times. This dual appointment marks a clear intent from SLC to inject fresh ideas and international expertise into their coaching setup. Sri Lanka have struggled to find consistency in recent years. And most recently, they regsitered failures in the T20I series against Bangladesh and the Asia Cup 2025. Wood has been given a one-year contract.
"Julian Wood has been appointed as the National Batting Coach for a period of one year, effective 1st October 2025," an SLC statement said.
Ferdinands has been roped in the role for two years, where he is expected to "lead spin bowling training, match preparation, performance analysis, and player development".
"Holding a PhD in biomechanics from the University of Waikato, Ferdinands brings extensive expertise in applying science to enhance cricket performance. He has previously worked at the BCCI's National Cricket Academy, "delivering biomechanics-based coaching programmes for elite players and coaches". A specialist in both wrist and finger spin, Rene has also served as a biomechanics consultant for New Zealand Cricket, carrying out performance evaluations and injury-risk assessments for leading bowlers," the statement stated.
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