Benni tipped for top job after Man United stint
AUCKLAND - Coach Chris Silverwood said Sri Lanka would be doing their absolute best to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final during their two-match series in New Zealand to give the people back home something to cheer about.
Sri Lanka, who are third in the WTC rankings behind already qualified Australia and India, will need to beat the reigning test champion Black Caps 2-0 to have a chance of playing in June's final at The Oval.
India could take matters out of Sri Lankan hands with a win in its fourth test against Australia next week but Silverwood said the team would be determined to take advantage of any slip up to raise the spirits of an embattled nation.
"It would mean everything to them," he said in Christchurch ahead of a tour game against a New Zealand XI. "The country has been through a bit recently and we know the spirits are really lifted when the cricket team is doing well.
"The guys are very aware of that and take that responsibility very seriously, so they'll be desperate to give them something to smile about back at home.
"To get to the WTC Final would be unbelievable, but at the same time we know we've got a very good New Zealand team in front of us as well and we have to respect that, work hard, and try and earn that right."
Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, beset by inflation, a shortage of foreign exchange, a plummeting currency and a steep recession.
The tourists will play a youthful New Zealand XI over the weekend at Bert Sutcliffe Oval to prepare for the opening test against New Zealand at Christchurch's Hagley Oval starting next Thursday.
"We're looking to get as ready as possible for the first test match, we want to hit the road running and to do that we have to make sure that we prep well here," Silverwood added.
"We want to make sure the batsmen get a good hit and get used to conditions and that bowlers get overs under their belts as well." —
JOHANNESBURG – Former South African international Shaun Bartlett believes his former national teammate Benni McCarthy will soon be his own man in England, in full charge of a club.
After being fired by AmaZulu towards the end of last season, McCarthy was appointed Manchester United forwards coach before the start of the current term.
He has been receiving rave reviews for the way he has transformed Marcus Rashford into a more prolific forward.
Bartlett has a close appreciation of McCarthy’s work ethic from their days as teammates and he says he is not surprised to see the former FC Porto star thriving at United.
He believes that McCarthy is primed to become a manager in England leading his own team.
“It’s not a surprise. Benni has always been someone with high aspirations as a player and the same thing he has now as a coach,” Bartlett told FARPost.
“You could see when he started with Cape Town City that he did something different there and he deserves to be where he is at this moment. I am pretty sure he will get a head coach or manager’s job in England soon.
“He has the qualifications and learning as much as he can from Erik Ten Hag and as coaches, that’s the only thing we can do. We need to be better than the day before and evolve with the game.”
African coaches have struggled to get more lucrative jobs in England. In England, Kolo Toure was an assistant to Brendan Rogers at Leicester City but left to become Wigan Athletic boss. But the former Ivory Coast international lasted just under two months with the Championship side. McCarthy could be setting himself up for more coaching opportunities in England the way Toure was picked by Wigan. Being part of Erik Ten Hag’s backroom staff at Old Trafford is viewed as a step towards getting a managerial role. The former Cape Town City coach will continue gaining valuable experience at United under Ten Hag.
If he continues receiving praise for his work, more opportunities could come up for him. Goal