Sri Lanka Cricket has announced that Pakistani legend Wasim Akram has accepted their offer to mentor the senior team ahead of their grueling tour of South Africa. Akram will organize a day-long coaching clinic in Colombo, which will be the first of a host of such clinics by foreign experts.

“We are honoured that Mr Akram has accepted our invitation to be a part of this initiative,” Sri Lanka Cricket chief Thilanga Sumathipala said, reported AFP.

Sri Lanka will travel to South Africa for a two-month long tour which will feature three Tests, three T20Is, and five ODIs. The first Test between the Islanders and the Proteas will start on Boxing day (December 26) at Port Elizabeth.

The Sri Lankan team have been in good form recently. After their historic 3-0 win in the Test series against Australia, they did struggle against the visitors in the shorter formats of the game. However, they bounced back by clinching the Tri-Nation ODI series in Zimbabwe, which also featured West Indies.

Thilanga Sumathipala feels that with the proper guidance and coaching, this Sri Lanka team could lift the 2019 World Cup. Wasim Akram is the first of many foreign experts who are expected to mentor the team ahead of their tour of South Africa. Akram, who is regarded as one of the best pacers in the game’s history, has been working as a bowling consultant with the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, and has also held fast-bowling camps in Pakistan.

-sportscafe