Jerome to return to coaching?
Jerome Jayaratne may descend from the cubical on to the field
Jerome Jayaratne, Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) former Head of Coaching may return to full time coaching again. He is being considered by SLC to fill the vacancy left by Asanka Gurusinha as Chief Cricket Operating Officer.
Jayaratne was confined to a desk job at the SLC headquarters since 2016 in the capacity of COO, a newly created position, with little regard for his core area of expertise which is coaching. But the Shammi Silva-led administration now wants him to help restructure the coaching department. He headed the SLC’s coaching arm for well over eight years, contributing largely to player development. He was removed when the then board headed by Thilanga Sumathipala brought in Englishman Simon Willis as head of the unit.
Willis’s early exit in 2018 May saw SLC handing the job to Gurusinha with wide powers to drive and manage the High Performance Center, Women’s Cricket, Men’s Cricket (senior and junior) and the Brain Centre. Little over one year into the post, however, Gurusinha had to return to his country of domicile, Australia, as SLC in August 2019 denied him a service extension on the direction of Sports Minister Harin Fernando.
“He is an option.” Silva said, of Jayaratne.
“We want to strengthen the coaching department with right people and we believe Jerome is the right man to do the job. We are also looking at hiring a new batting coach, fielding coach and a bowling coach to the unit.”
Jayaratne also oversaw the national team twice in interim capacity. In 2015, when Marvan Atapattu resigned as the National Team Coach, he was appointed the Interim Head Coach until Graham Ford took over in January 2016. He is currently the National Team’s Consultant Coach. He has coaching certificates from Cricket Australia and the ECB, and has previously held the posts of Manager Coaching as well as Coach of the SLC Academy Squad. He has played 22 first-class matches between 1990-91 and 1995-96.
Sri Lanka achieved a 2-0 win in Tests against West Indies, a 3-0 ODI whitewash and drew the T20 series 1-1 under Jayaratne’s guidance. His achievements in New Zealand could have been more impressive if not for some strange on-field decision-making.
Meanwhile, SLC has initiated disciplinary inquiry against Chandika Hathurusingha, the National Team Head Coach, who has been sidelined since August this year. The 51-year-old former Sri Lanka cricketer has a contract valid till December 2020. But the Board and the Minister of Sports want him out citing poor on-field performances. Attempts at an amicable exit failed, with the Sports Minister exerting pressure, SLC wants to sack Hathurusingha despite the financial and other consequences. However, with an ironclad contract firmly behind him, he refused to resign, leaving Sri Lanka Cricket in a state of limbo.
“We sent him a show cause letter and we have received his responses to the same,” Silva said. “We will now initiate disciplinary inquiry against him.” The status quo has delayed new coaching appointments but the Board President is hopeful of sorting them out fast to streamline the national team coaching unit. Though, Hathurusingha has been relieved of his duties, he continues to draw his salary.