When Kaushal Silva accepted the role of Hong Kong men’s head coach, he knew it would be far from straightforward. The former Sri Lanka opener had little time to adjust before being thrown into the intensity of preparation for the Asia Cup. The setting was Dubai, with its scorching desert heat, and the challenge was working with a group of players he barely knew.
“I hadn’t even stepped into Hong Kong when the work began,” Silva recalls. “I flew straight from Melbourne to Dubai, and within hours, I was planning training sessions and preparing the team for match scenarios.”
It was an instant immersion. Jet lag aside, he had to switch into coach mode, joining his assistant Andrew Lloyd, who had been coordinating from Hong Kong, to finalise team combinations and practice schedules.
Adjusting to New Realities
For Silva, who is 39, the early focus was not only on technical drills but also on the small yet defining aspects of preparation. The first task was simple: get the players outdoors. Because of persistent rains and lack of suitable grounds back home, the Hong Kong squad had spent over two months training almost exclusively indoors.
“The difference between indoor and outdoor cricket is huge,” he explains. “Having access to proper facilities in Dubai allowed us to play on turf wickets and big grounds. These small details make players sharper and prepare them for higher levels.”
From Sri Lanka to Australia, and Now Hong Kong
Silva retired from international cricket in 2019 after a career that saw him represent Sri Lanka as a solid top-order batter. Soon after, he moved to Australia, where coaching opportunities opened unexpectedly. Encouraged by former Hong Kong coach Trent Johnston, Silva began combining playing with coaching roles at club level in Victoria.
That same year, he earned his ICC Level 3 coaching certification in Dubai, which he calls a “turning point” in understanding cricket from a coach’s lens. Since then, he has built a coaching portfolio that spans grassroots academies, state pathway programs, and even the head role at a private school’s cricket program in Melbourne.
When the Hong Kong role emerged recently, Silva viewed it as an opportunity to merge his experiences as player and coach while contributing to the growth of an Associate nation.
Facing Resource Constraints
Coming from cricket-rich environments in Sri Lanka and Australia, Silva quickly noticed the contrast in resources. In elite systems, players enjoy year-round access to high-performance centres, medical staff, and constant professional support. Associate nations like Hong Kong operate differently.
“Here, you don’t always have access to training facilities, and sometimes you only get indoor sessions at limited times,” he explains. “But that can’t be an excuse. We work with what we have and make sure preparation is as thorough as possible.”
Silva has emphasised to his players the need to control what is within their power. Regaining One-Day International status—a title Hong Kong lost in 2018—requires resilience and adaptability. “No one is going to hand us anything,” he stresses. “Our responsibility is to prepare smartly and push ourselves every session.”
Building Belief Through Smart Cricket
Results in warm-up matches have already given Silva some encouragement. Hong Kong have played four practice games during their tour, winning two. The coach’s mantra has been to play “fearless but intelligent cricket.”
“I don’t want players swinging wildly,” he explains. “I want them to recognise opportunities: use the bigger boundaries, run hard between wickets, turn ones into twos. Back home, a chip over the infield usually goes for four, but here the dimensions are different. Learning these nuances makes a big difference.”
A People-First Coaching Philosophy
With limited preparation time before the Asia Cup, Silva has focused strongly on relationship building. He has spoken individually with every player in the 20-man squad (trimmed to 17 later) to learn about their backgrounds, ambitions, and training preferences.
“This tournament is as much about observing them under pressure as it is about winning games,” he says. “How they respond to success, how they react when things get tough—these are the insights that help me figure out how to guide them better.”
Silva’s coaching philosophy has been shaped by mentors from his playing days in Sri Lanka. He credits coaches like Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace, and Stuart Law for showing him that simplicity often works better than overloading players with information.
“As a player, I used to think they weren’t telling us much. Now I realise it was intentional. First, you have to know the person, and only then can you guide them.”
This people-first mindset, Silva believes, is central to building a cohesive Hong Kong team. “Managing personalities is everything. What works for one player may not work for another. That’s my strength—and it’s something I’m still learning with this group.”
Looking Ahead
At the Asia Cup, Hong Kong face Afghanistan and Bangladesh in quick succession before Silva’s emotional clash against his former team, Sri Lanka, on September 15. While that narrative is bound to attract attention, Silva insists his focus is strictly on performance.
“Yes, it’s exciting to play against Sri Lanka, but for us it’s another game. From the very beginning, I told the players: we are not here to make up the numbers. We are here to compete.”
For Silva, Hong Kong’s path forward depends less on star power and more on discipline and belief. “In cricket, the team that makes fewer mistakes usually wins. That’s not limited to the top nations—it applies to everyone. And that includes us.”
