One of their best white-ball bowlers, Lasith Malinga, has been hired by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as a Consultant-Fast Bowling Coach for the national men’s side for a brief one-month period in order to help them get ready for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which would be co-hosted with India. One of the few sling bowlers, Malinga has played for Sri Lanka in 30 Test matches, 226 One-Day Internationals, and 84 Twenty20 Internationals, taking 101, 338, and 107 wickets in each. He was an important part of the Sri Lankan side that won the ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2014 and placed second twice, at home in 2012 and in England in 2009.
Additionally, he had been second in the 50-over World Cup twice, in 2007 and 2011. Lasith Malinga has been appointed as the National Men’s Team’s Consultant-Fast Bowling Coach by Sri Lanka Cricket. His appointment is temporary, lasting from December 15 to January 25, 2026. “Malinga will support the preparation and development of Sri Lanka’s national fast bowlers as part of the build-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” according to a release from the SLC.
According to the statement, Sri Lanka Cricket hopes to improve Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparations by utilizing Malinga’s extensive international experience and well-known proficiency in death bowling, especially in the game’s shortest format. The first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, is slated to take place at the SSC in Colombo on February 7, 2026. The 42-year-old Malinga has played franchise cricket all over the world in addition to international matches in the shortest format, giving him a wealth of T20 cricket expertise.