Ian Bell appointed as Sri Lanka's batting coach for upcoming England Test Series

The former England batsman has played 118 Test matches, scoring 7,727 runs at an average of 42.69, with 22 Test centuries to his name.

Sri Lanka appointed former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim head coach last month. The former Lanka opener replaced Chris Silverwood, who resigned after the team's early exit from the T20 World Cup. Under Jayasuriya, the Lankans recently secured a 2-0 ODI series win against India, their first triumph over the Men in Blue in 27 years.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan team raised security concerns with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) due to ongoing anti-immigrant riots in Britain. Players have requested heightened security measures ahead of the upcoming Test series. Sri Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda stated that he alerted the ECB to these concerns after reading reports of unrest in Manchester. 

The first Test match is scheduled to be played in Manchester on August 21, followed by the second Test at Lord's on August 29. The series will conclude with the final Test at The Oval on September 6.