Pubudu Dassanayake, the former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper, is set to return as the head coach of the USA Men’s National Team for a second stint from 2016 to 2019. During his first tenure, he successfully led the team to achieve ODI status for the first time. He will take over from Stuart Law, who stepped down after a successful period that included leading the team to qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
With his previous experience in the USA environment, Dassanayake is expected to be the ideal leader for the team following their qualification for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking about his return to the coaching role, he expressed,
“It’s an honor to return and lead the USA Men’s National Team. I’m proud of what we accomplished during my previous time here, and I see tremendous potential in this group to reach even greater heights. I look forward to working closely with the players and staff to continue building something meaningful for USA Cricket,” as quoted by the ICC.
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Dassanayake Aims to Build on Past Success in Second Stint
Dassanayake also has experience coaching teams like Nepal and Canada, helping Nepal qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2024 and assisting Canada in achieving their ODI status in 2023.
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The head coach of the USA is excited to discover new talent within the team and to develop a strong, collaborative environment. He emphasized the positive relationships he built with key players, such as captain Monank Patel and Jasdeep Singh, both of whom he helped develop into significant contributors during his previous tenure. Commenting on the current squad, he stated,
“It’s a well-settled team.” He mentioned to Cricbuzz, “We want to build an environment in which performance is the only criterion for being on the team. Once we establish that honest system, the players will understand that their numbers, effort, and work ethic are all that matter in this system. It will be interesting to see what other talents we have in the country. However, I must say that the current squad is quite decent and settled.”
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