Bipin Dani
The visiting Sri Lankan team will be without the services of its batting coach Justin Sammons for the remaining three T-20Is, it is learnt here.
Sammons was recently appointed as batting consultant for this tour and officiated in all three ODIs. However, according to highly placed sources in South Africa, he returned home with four ODI players (Janneman Malan, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne and Lipo Sipamla) immediately on the day when the third and the last ODI was finished on Tuesday.
The head coach Mark Boucher will also be the batting coach for the three T-20Is to be played on September 10,12 and 14.
Teams’ trainings South Africa (8-10 pm) and Sri Lankan (5-8 pm) players were scheduled to train on Thursday.
Sri Lankan team will also have the services of its foreign physio Brett Harrop. “Kusal Perera’s training session on an off-day on Wednesday was supervised by Harrop”, the source attached with the stadium facilities confirmed.
Birthday boy Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka had “surprised visitors” minutes after midnight on Wednesday.
“It is Shanka’s 30th birthday and all team members knocked on the door at midnight. They all had brought cake for him and put on his face. All had fun last night and the housekeeping staff was invited to clean the room thereafter”, one of the sources confirmed to this reporter.
