Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Monday announced former South Africa international Gary Kirsten as the head coach of its men’s team.

Kirsten will take over from April 15 on a two-year contract, replacing Sanath Jayasuriya, who had announced his exit after Sri Lanka’s Super Eight exit in the T20 World Cup.

The 58-year-old last worked as a consultant with Namibia for the T20 World Cup. Kirsten’s most successful stints as coach remain with India and South Africa. During his stint in India, he guided the team to an ODI World Cup title before getting the Proteas to the top of rankings in all three formats.

“Among Kirsten’s major responsibilities will be guiding the men’s national team in its preparation for the ODI World Cup 2027, which will be held in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe,” SLC said in a statement.