Bharat Arun will become the latest in a string of high-profile Indian coaches conducting specialised coaching programmes for Sri Lanka’s top cricketers.
He will run a 14-day programmed “aimed at further enhancing the standards of Sri Lankan fast bowlers across junior and senior squads at the high performance centre,” a Sri Lanka Cricket press statement on Friday said. Arun, who was the bowling coach of the senior India men’s team from 2014 to 2021, will run a programme starting on June 2.
Earlier in May, India’s former fielding coach R Sridhar had run a ten-day programme of his own. Last year, Zubin Bharucha, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) director of high performance, ran a brief batting coaching programme in Sri Lanka as well. These initiatives have all come during the tenure of Sanath Jayasuriya as head coach.
“[Arun] will work with the Sri Lanka national men’s and women’s teams, the women’s ‘A’ team, the U19 men’s team, coaches of the high performance centre, club and provincial coaches, and coach-educators during his stay here in the country,” the SLC statement said. “He will conduct separate strategy sessions with the men’s red-ball and white-ball teams, hold technical and skill-based training with fast bowlers, hold video and performance analysis sessions with players and coaches, and also match scenarios to develop ‘game’ understanding.”
The Sri Lanka men’s team, in particular, is having a quiet period, with only two Tests to play till next May and a light international schedule, having not qualified for this year’s Champions Trophy.