CA confirms Allan Donald appointment for Sri Lanka tour, Law to step in for Greg Blewett
Australia draft in Donald, Law
Darren Lehmann's coaching staff will feature two new faces for their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, with former South Africa quick Allan Donald and ex-Australia batsman Stuart Law joining the team.
As had been reported earlier in the week, Donald will take on the role of fast-bowling coach for the tour in July and August while Law will step in as batting coach in place of Greg Blewett, who will miss the tour due to the birth of his second child.
Former India spinner Sridharan Sriram will act as fielding coach for the Test component of the tour, the latest of his multiple stints with the Australian team.
The appointments of Donald and Law come after current Western Australia bowling coach Adam Griffith was announced as the bowling coach for the Qantas Tour of the West Indies in June, which precedes the Sri Lankan tour.
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Former England batsman Graeme Hick will also travel to the Caribbean as an assistant coach, while current WA coach Justin Langer will be the head coach for the Windies tour while Lehmann enjoys some time off.
The changes come after Craig McDermott (bowling coach) and Michael De Venuto (batting coach) left their respective roles earlier this year.
The appointments of Donald and Law are for the Sri Lanka tour only and Cricket Australia are hoping to have permanent appointments in place by the start of the 2016-17 summer.
It had been reported Donald may be at the helm of Australia’s bowling unit for the away limited overs series against the Proteas later this year, but CA has not yet announced coaching appointments beyond the SL tour.
Law returns to Australian cricket having previously coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the top level and more recently Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, with Lehmann welcoming his former teammate back into the fold.
"It’s great to have Stu back in the Australian team for this period," Lehmann said.
"He has been doing some great work at the National Cricket Centre with our age-grade teams and Australia A, and his knowledge of batting in Sri Lanka is a huge advantage for us on this tour."
Donald, who was Proteas bowling coach between 2011 and 2015, enjoyed great success in a decade at the top and Lehmann is confident the former Protea's experience in the subcontinent will help Australia's quicks against Sri Lanka.
"He brings a wealth of experience with him and our guys will benefit greatly from having him around," Lehmann said.
"His Test record speaks for itself and he was without a doubt one of the most formidable bowlers of his generation.
"He has also had considerable success in sub-continent conditions and will bring a fresh perspective, and challenge some of our thinking."
Sriram, who played eight one-day internationals for India between 2000 and 2004, recently joined the Australian team for their T20 tours of Sri Lanka and India and worked with the Australia A side in India last year.
"Sri was a great addition to our coaching group in South Africa and provided a terrific perspective for our players," Lehmann said.
"His knowledge of sub-continental conditions will also be an added bonus for us."