SLC appoint Jayasuriya as Interim Head Coach

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) yesterday announced the appointment of former Captain Sanath Jayasuriya as the Interim Head Coach of the National Cricket Team.

Jayasuriya will function in the position until the completion of Sri Lanka’s tour of England in September 2024.

Jayasuriya is currently serving as the full-time Cricket Consultant of the SLC. His new appointment comes into immediate effect.

“Sanath with his wealth of international cricketing experience is well positioned to guide the national team, until we find a permanent solution,” Ashley de Silva, Chief Executive Officer, SLC, stated in a media release. 

Sri Lanka will travel to England for a three-match Test series, starting on August 21. The first Test will be played in Manchester and the remaining two in London at Lord’s and The Oval respectively.

Jayasuriya steps in to replace Chris Silverwood, who resigned following Sri Lanka’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The team finished third in Group ‘D’, managing only one win in four games.

Prior to the T20 World Cup, Silverwood’s coaching tenure was marked by successes such as a T20 Asia Cup triumph in 2022, a runner-up position in the 50-over Asia Cup in 2023 and several victories in bilateral series.

Jayasuriya’s appointment brings a wealth of experience, having featured in 586 matches for Sri Lanka across formats, accumulating an impressive 21,032 runs and 440 wickets.

Renowned as one of the most dangerous opening batters of his era, Jayasuriya has previously served the SLC as a Selector and currently holds the role of full-time Cricket Consultant. (ICC)