Rumesh Ratnayake


Rumesh Joseph Ratnayake, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 23 Tests and 70 ODIs from 1982 to 1993. He is the current fast bowling coach of Sri Lanka national cricket team.
Ratnayake was born in Colombo. During a career often blighted by injury, he was a strapping right arm fast-medium bowler who was capable of swinging the new ball and generating considerable pace and bounce. He was also a more than useful hard-hitting lower order batsman, as Test match fifties against Pakistan and England testify.

International career

One of Ratnayake's best performances came in the 1985/86 series against India, taking 20 wickets at 22 for the series. In the 2nd Test he managed 9 wickets in the match which gave Sri Lanka a rare Test win, and inaugural series victory. Other good hauls include 6 for 66 against Australia at Hobart in 1990/91 and 5 for 69 against England at Lord's.

After retirement

In July 2001 Ratnayake became the administrative team manager for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.
In 2003 Ratnayake was a development officer for the Asian Cricket Council and was a coach and selector for the Asian Dream Team, a composite team of lesser Asian cricketing nations that played 6 matches in Sri Lanka that year.
Ratnayake was in May 2007 linked with the Sri Lankan national cricket team assistant coaching job with some saying he had been given the interim coaching job. Ultimately it was the deputy's job that he was offered, and later declined in June 2007.:
He has also advised cricket hopefuls in Canada.
In August 2011, he became the head coach of Sri Lankan national team. On 8 August 2017, after Champaka Ramanayake resigned, Ratnayake was again appointed as the fast bowling coach of the national team.