The Bangladesh Cricket Board is all set to appoint former Sri Lankan Test cricketers Ruwan Kalpage and Champaka Ramanayake as the head coach of the National Cricket Academy and fast bowling coach of development squads respectively, officials said on Wednesday.
Kalpage, who worked as the fielding coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team under both John Dyson and Tom Moody, will replace Shaun Williams at the GP-BCB Academy. Williams was recently made assistant coach of the Bangladesh national team.
Ramanayake, who was offered by the BCB to be the fast bowling coach of the national team on some previous occasions, will mainly work with the emerging fast bowlers of age-group teams, said Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad, the vice-chairman of the BCB’s game development committee.
‘We may attach him with the national team if that becomes necessary, but essentially he will be coach for the development squads,’ said Ishtiaq, who was in constant touch with the duo in the last few days.
‘We have got the confirmation from both of them and are now sending contract papers to them. If everything goes smoothly we can expect them to start work at the end of February,’ said Ishtiaq. The 38-year old new Academy coach Kalpage played 11 Tests and 86 one-day internationals for Sri Lanka. He played for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Dhaka Primer Cricket League a few years ago.
The fast bowling coach Ramanayake, 43, has played 18 Tests and 62 one-day internationals to take 44 and 68 wickets respectively. He last appeared for Sri Lanka in 1995.
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