Sanath Jayasuriya takes charge as interim coach
View(s):By Champika Fernando
While Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) continues their search for Chris Silverwood’s replacement, Sanath Jayasuriya will take over the job in the interim for the home series against India and the Test tour to England.
Jayasuriya was appointed
Sri Lanka Cricket’s full-time “cricket consultant” for a year last December where he oversees both players and coaches working at SLC’s High Performance Centre in Khettarama. Jayasuriya has also joined the team at this year’s T20 World Cup as a consultant.
SLC confirmed that Jayasuriya will step in the interim while they will continue to head hunt for a full-time replacement.
Silverwood whose contract was extended up until the England series, decided to step down from the post of Head Coach of the national men’s team following a yet another disastrous campaign at the recent T20 World Cup. Before him Mahela Jayawardena, who functioned as a consultant coach, also resigned, leaving Sri Lanka Cricket with a daunting task of looking for a replacement.
Jayasuriya, though has no extensive coaching experience, has contributed to Sri Lanka cricket as a selector in many occasions.
Sri Lanka’s immediate assignment is India’s tour of Sri Lanka for a six-match limited over series–three ODIs and as many T20Is. This will be followed by a three-match Test series to England.
Sanath Jayasuriya will be the interim coach for two tours
The three-match Test series will begin on August 21 in Manchester with the second and third matches are scheduled for Lord’s and Oval on August 29 and September 6 respectively. England beat
Sri Lanka 2-0 when the islanders last toured England in 2016.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s red-ball specialists will travel to England early next month to prepare for the series against hosts England. The likes of former Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Nishan Madushka, Ramnesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya and Angelo Mathews are among those hoping to travel to UK in the first week of August.