Albury has landed the first scalp of the off-season by signing a player who was in the Sri Lankan spin bowling squad with world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan.
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Mahesh Kodamullage, or 'Mash', played seven first-class matches in his home country before moving to Australia in 2017.
The right-arm off-spinner and right-hand middle-order batsman spent last season as assistant coach with Preston in the Victorian sub-district league, where he won Player of the Year for the North group.
'He'll be in the top few players in the comp," Albury coach Luke Styles said.
Kodamullage boasts Level 2 coaching and will be Styles' assistant.
"He'll improve our coaching and our juniors and take us to a new level as a club with his professionalism," Styles said.
He'll improve our coaching and our juniors and take us to a new level as a club with his professionalism ... probably gives us that extra 10 per cent.
- Luke Styles
"We've gone on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, but he probably gives us that extra 10 per cent that we're after."
Albury snapped a 12-year finals drought last season and looked almost certain to contest the grand final after moving to 4-109 against North Albury's modest total of 126.
However, a gut-wrenching collapse saw the home team fall one run short of the target.
Kodamullage is expected to relocate to the Border in around a month.
Albury's breakout season was largely on the back of Zimbabwean international Innocent Kaia.
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The opening batsman posted the association's most runs, despite missing the first eight matches.
Kaia had re-signed, but it's unsure if the COVID-19 pandemic will allow his return.
