Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as the interim head coach of the country's national men's cricket team. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Monday (July 8) issued an official press release to reveal the development. Jayasuriya, who is currently serving as the cricket consultant for SLC shall take over his new job with immediate effect and has been appointed for the role till the end of Sri Lanka's tour of England in September. Sanath Jayasuriya worked previously as the national team selector. He has also been serving as the consultant, overseeing players' and coaches' progress in their High-Performance Center in Khettarama.
“I have been asked to take over coaching and I am happy to do it,” Sanath Jayasuriya told AFP news agency. Notably, former captain Mahela Jayawardene also stepped down in June as consultant coach of the team."Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Mr. Sanath Jayasuriya as the 'Interim Head Coach' of the National Team. He will function in the position until the completion of Sri Lanka's tour of England in September 2024," the cricket board said in a release."Sanath with his wealth of international cricketing experience is well positioned to guide the national team, until we find a permanent solution," said Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO, Sri Lanka Cricket.
Jayasuriya will begin his stint as coach after the end of the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 season. He is set to be in charge of the side for the limited-overs series against India in July-August and the tour of England later in the month. Chris Silverwood served Sri Lanka cricket as the men's team head coach from April 2022 until the end of the T20 World Cup. Under his tenure, Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup in 2022, but struggled at the ODI World Cup in 2023 in India. Sri Lanka failed to make it to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, managing just one victory in the group stage. Sri Lanka finished third in Group C behind South Africa and Bangladesh who qualified for the next round. Chris Silverwood said in a statement that he was quitting the role to spend more time with his family after having worked for more than 2 years with the islanders.
