Bayliss requests for more time

Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Cricket Coach Trevor Bayliss has requested for further time from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to hunt for an Assistant Coach. The task of head hunting for an Assistant Coach was entrusted to Bayliss following the surprise withdrawal of Rumesh Ratnayake who was earlier tipped to take up the position.Bayliss is expected to recommend a few names after which Sri Lanka Cricket will short list the candidates and conduct interviews before finalising the position.Rumesh Ratnayake declined the role of Assistant Coach although Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had offered him approximately US $ 80,000 per year for a period of four years. The Sunday Times learns from reliable sources that this amount is much higher than what Ratnayake is enjoying at the moment as a Development Officer of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa is the current President of the Asian Cricket Council and it will be interesting to see what the ACC does when Ratnayake’s contract comes up for renewal.

Sri Lanka Cricket Officials are extremely disappointed that Ratnayake declined the offer.” It is pathetic that a Sri Lankan has rejected this offer.Infact we always talk of getting a Lankan to coach our boys, and when we offer it to someone he declines leaving us no alternative but to look at another foreign coach” lamented a high ranking official of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Rumesh Ratnayake’s sudden decision to decline the SLC offer is believed to have been influenced by two former Sri Lanka Cricketers who are still connected with local and International cricket.

SLC to pay US $ 270,000 to ICC
Meanwhile the ICC has decided to deduct the annual membership fees of US$ 900,000 for a period of three years amounting to US$ 270,000 (approximately SLR 300 million) from the World Cup money that is due to Sri Lanka.Runners –up Sri Lanka are expected to have earned a staggering one billion SLR from the last World Cup. A spokesman for SLC confirmed that they have written to the ICC to deduct only one years membership fee and remit the balance to Sri Lanka Cricket.SLC expects the money early next month.