Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has hired the services of a nutritionist and a psychologist for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan, it is learnt. 

According to sources at SLC, Dr. Hashan Amarathunga will work as a nutritionist and Dr. Fedinan Perera as a psychologist. 

"The idea to hire the services of these two renowned personalities came from the Medical Committee chairman Prof. Arjuna De Silva and was welcomed by the head coach Chris Silverwood,” the source revealed.  

This will be the first time these both doctors will be with the national team. 

Dr. Hashan Amarathunga, however, has already been working with the players for the last five to six months. 

He is a senior registrar in Clinical Nutrition, National Hospital, Colombo and has worked with the Army Women's Hockey team and has also worked with several sports persons. 

He is also Country Representative for the Professionals in Nutrition for Exercise and Sports (PINES). 

Dr. Ferdinan Perera is a psychiatrist cum psychologist, having worked with the Asiri Central Hospital. 

Both doctors will reside with the team. 

There have been a few instances of foreign psychologists hired for the team in the past. 

The most notable being Sandy Gordon (in 2005) when Tom Moody was the coach and Dr. Phil Jauncey (2018) when Chandika Hathurusinghe was the coach.

(Bipin Dani)