Kirsten lays down Sri Lanka's roadmap for 2027 ODI World Cup

As Gary Kirsten begins his new role as head coach of the Sri Lankan men’s national team, the experienced coach is already looking beyond immediate results and focusing on building a squad for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The marquee tournament will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and Kirsten is already focused on building a squad that can thrive in those conditions.

"It's going to be very different conditions to what a lot of the guys are used to, so how do plan for that? It's about making sure all our bases are covered in the skillsets of the team," Kirsten said.

"Do we have guys with great air speed? Do we have guys that can swing the ball? Do we have guys that can bowl with bounce? Do you have top spinners? And do you have six batters who can bat on those kind of conditions?"

Kirsten understands the importance of delivering results in the present and has made it clear that he expects his side to give their best in every series Sri Lanka plays, as they build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.

"Results count, we can't hide from that. Every series we play going into the World Cup, we want to give a good account of ourselves. We'll be aiming at progressing and improving as we get closer," he added.

A major focus for the new head coach will be assessing the depth and quality of talent within Sri Lanka’s ranks. Just over a week into the role, Kirsten has already conducted what he described as a “team audit” and plans to further his understanding of the country’s cricketing pipeline by travelling to Galle to watch Sri Lanka A take on New Zealand A.

"I have certainly been spending the first week doing a bit of a team audit, just to get to understand where everyone is at. You can't only rely on talent. You need a good work ethic and a good attitude," Kirsten said.

"I am quite excited just to see all the players and what talent is out there.

The 2011 World Cup-winning head coach also spoke about the importance of having depth in the squad to better manage player workloads, especially in an era where teams are constantly juggling multiple formats.

"For me, what's important around that is that we have a lot of depth in the group across the different formats. So you are able to rotate players when you need to. You can't expect one guy just to be playing all the time. He'll blow up quite quickly."