CWI appoints Sri Lankan as academy head coach

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

CRICKET WEST Indies (CWI) announced on Friday that Ramesh Subasinghe will become the new head coach of its men’s academy programme.

The 40-year-old brings a wealth of cricketing experience to the Caribbean, developed through his playing days from 2006 to 2012 as a pace bowler for the Nondescripts Club in his native Sri Lanka, and previous coaching roles.

He joins CWI after spending the past decade heavily involved in the development of players in New Zealand, where he was the head coach of the national men’s development programme, and pathways head coach and talent development manager for Otago Cricket Association.

“Joining CWI presents an incredible opportunity for me to contribute to the organisation’s new strategic vision and build on their existing high-performance programmes, working with their best young cricketers,” he said.

“I look forward to collaborating with the exciting natural talent and the passionate cricketing communities in the West Indies.”

Subasinghe comes armed with an ICC Global Level 3 coaching qualification and extensive experience in high-performance coaching.

CWI said the recruitment process for the position attracted significant global interest, with 53 applicants vying for the role, and Subasinghe emerged from a “stringent vetting process” as the ideal candidate from a pool of 12 shortlisted candidates representing diverse cricketing backgrounds.

“It was a rigorous and transparent exercise, ensuring that only the most qualified and capable candidates were considered for this position,” CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe said.

“We were given a clear mandate to choose the best talent at our disposal, and we’re confident the most suitable candidate was identified.

“We are continuously striving to elevate standards at CWI, and I am confident that Ramesh Subasinghe embodies the expertise and leadership necessary to drive our cricket development initiatives forward.”

Subasinghe will start his role on May 1, and he will be based full-time at the CWI headquarters at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.