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As part of the newly launched “ The Next Chapter ” program of Sri Lanka Football, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has renewed the contract of National Team Head Coach Abdullah Almutairi.
The renewal follows discussions held between FFSL President Jaswar Umar and Coach Almutairi regarding the future direction and ambitions of Sri Lanka Football.
During the meeting, President Jaswar Umar expressed his appreciation for the Head Coach’s commitment, professionalism, and positive results delivered over the past two years. He also outlined the new objectives and performance targets that the national team is expected to achieve under the FFSL’s strategic development framework, “The Next Chapter.”
Coach Almutairi completed his first tenure with notable success, helping Sri Lanka achieve significant progress on the international stage. Under his leadership, the national team improved its FIFA ranking substantially, rising from 205 to 187 while recording an impressive number of international victories and positive results within a relatively short period.
President Jaswar Umar stated that he was satisfied with the achievements delivered during Almutairi’s first tenure and the successful completion of key performance targets. As a result, the FFSL had no hesitation in offering him a second contract, reflecting the Federation’s trust and confidence in his leadership and technical expertise.
With the renewed mandate, Coach Almutairi will now lead the implementation of the FFSL’s new technical and competitive objectives, including preparations for upcoming international competitions and the Federation’s long-term vision for national team success.
The renewal marks another important step in “The Next Chapter” initiative, as Sri Lanka Football continues to strengthen its foundations, increase its competitiveness, and build greater visibility and success at both regional and international levels. Football in Sri Lanka is steadily progressing across all areas, supported by a clear vision, strong leadership, and a commitment to sustainable development.
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WEATHER FORECAST FOR 12 NOVEMBER 2026 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 12 November 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern and Eastern provinces and elsewhere in the island after 1.00 p.m.
Heavy showers above 100mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and Uva provinces.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
If Pakistan thought they had gone into the third day of the Rawalpindi Test in a position of strength, Sri Lanka showed across three dispiriting sessions for the home side how dangerous it can be to underestimate the visitors’ lower middle order. Across a ruthless day of Test match batting, Sri Lanka lost just the one wicket, adding 288 runs to their overnight score.
Dhananjaya de Silva batted the whole day, and finished unbeaten on 167, just six runs away from matching his career best. Kusal Perera was also well into three figures in his first Test as captain, and Sri Lanka were just 30 runs away from Pakistan’s first-innings total, with six wickets still in their reserve. Sri Lanka’s old and incumbent captains had also combined for an unbeaten 249-run partnership that handed Sri Lanka the initiative heading into day four.
In the first session, Sri Lanka wore Pakistan down with measured batting, and during the rest of the day, the fifth-wicket pair broke them as they began dominating. At the start of the day, de Silva and Kamindu Mendis were patient and judicious in their shot selection, building on a burgeoning partnership that had begun to inch Sri Lanka out of trouble on the second evening. They looked largely comfortable, though Mohammad Abbas retained the ability to produce unplayable deliveries. One of those did for Kamindu shortly after his half-century, but with none of the other bowlers posing a similar threat and de Silva in fine form, Pakistan never looked like making more substantial inroads before lunch.
The priorities of de Silva and Kusal shifted early in the second session. At first, they wanted to guard against a possible collapse, with Sri Lanka well behind Pakistan’s first-innings effort, but they soon realised there was little to fear from the bowling attack barring Abbas. De Silva had been regal throughout his innings, but once he skipped down the track and drilled Arafat Minhas for the boundary that brought up his century, Sri Lanka began to overpower the bowlers.
The six overs that followed produced 57 runs. First Kusal, then de Silva cut loose. Twenty-one-year-old Razaullah’s inexperience and inaccuracy was preyed on by both batters, with the young fast bowler getting into a war of words with the pair, who were more than equipped to answer effectively with the bat. Minhas couldn’t find much turn on this strip with his spin either, and did not bring out his variations, while Kusal was especially prolific skipping down the track and hitting through the line against him.
Even the new ball Pakistan had been holding out for did little to thwart the batters. Mohammad Abbas had a rare off spell, and the pair were too settled to be put off by any of the other bowlers on a rapidly flattening surface. Within a few overs, Pakistan had resorted to the spin of Minhas.
The tea break served as no kind of momentum breaker for Sri Lanka either, and if Pakistan had an opportunity to regroup, it did not translate to tangible effectiveness in the final session. Sri Lanka stuck to their new-found belligerence, pressing home the advantage with their high intent. Razaullah plugged away from one end, but could not find a way to plug the run-scoring, which was growing ever more audacious as stumps neared.
Kusal had got to his half-century with a six over the sightscreen. He brought up three figures with a ramp off Razaullah over the keeper’s head, a shot he would repeat in the young quick’s following over and get six for it. The milestones tumbled as the pair chugged along: their 200-partnership, de Silva’s 150, the team’s 400.
Pakistan’s salvation, at that point, lay only in the speed with which the light faded in Rawalpindi, allowing them to slink back into the safety of the dressing room, hunkering down before they prepared to fight on day four.
Yet, their outing in Rawalpindi could have been so much simpler. De Silva was on 38 early in the morning when Razaullah produced an outside edge from his bat, when the Sri Lanka batter played a rare loose drive with hard hands. The ball zipped to Saud Shakeel at the perfect catching height, only for the slip fielder to see, with horror, the ball pop out of his hands.
Pakistan, and Razaullah specifically, would spend the rest of the day copping punishment for that moment, and more awaits tomorrow.
Sri Lanka 404 for 4 in 102 overs (Dhananjaya De Silva 167*, Kusal Mendis 117*, Kamindu Mendis 58; Mohammad Abbas 2-64, Saqib Khan 2-105) trail Pakistan 434 for 9 dec in 106.3 overs (Saud Shakeel 93, Tayyab Arif 57, Mohammad Taha 51, Babar Azam 50, Arfat Minhas 52; Asitha Fernando 3-107, Dilshan Madushanka 3-108) by 30 runs
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 NOVEMBER 2026 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 November 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
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