Key Highlights :
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is taking a major step forward in the development of their players by hiring the services of a nutritionist and a psychologist for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan, it is learnt. Dr. Hashan Amarathunga has been appointed as the nutritionist and Dr. Fedinan Perera as the psychologist. This will be the first time that these two professionals will be part of the national team.
The idea to hire the services of these two renowned personalities came from the Medical Committee Chairman Prof. Arjuna De Silva and was welcomed by the head coach Chris Silverwood. Dr. Hashan Amarathunga has been working with the players for the last five to six months. He is a senior registrar in Clinical Nutrition, National Hospital, Colombo and has worked with the Army Women's Hockey team and has also worked with several sports persons. He is also Country Representative for the Professionals in Nutrition for Exercise and Sports (PINES).
Dr. Ferdinan Perera is a psychiatrist cum psychologist, having worked with the Asiri Central Hospital. Both doctors will reside with the team. There have been a few instances of foreign psychologists hired for the team in the past. The most notable being Sandy Gordon (in 2005) when Tom Moody was the coach and Dr. Phil Jauncey (2018) when Chandika Hathurusinghe was the coach.
The hiring of these two professionals indicates the Sri Lankan cricket team’s commitment to the development of their players. It shows that the team is taking the necessary steps to ensure that their players are in the best of health and are mentally prepared for the upcoming series. The nutritionist and psychologist will be able to provide the necessary advice and guidance to the players so that they can perform to the best of their abilities.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken a major step in the development of their players and the team by hiring the services of a nutritionist and a psychologist for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan. This will be the first time these two professionals will be with the national team and their expertise and advice will be invaluable for the team. The hiring of these two professionals also shows that the team is taking the necessary steps to ensure the best possible performance from their players.