Former Sri Lanka captain and current chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya announced on Monday that he will take charge as the head coach of the national team.
Jayasuriya will be replacing former England pacer Chris Silverwood in the role, who stepped down from his position following Sri Lanka’s dismal ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
The former captain revealed that he was approached by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to take over the role for the upcoming series against India and the tour to England in August, which he delightfully accepted.
“I have been asked to take over coaching, and I am delighted to accept,” Jayasuriya said.
Sanath Jayasuriya has represented Sri Lanka in 586 international matches across three formats from 1989 to 2011. He will take charge as the head coach in the white-ball series against India, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs, later this month.
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For the unversed, Silverwood cited personal reasons for his resignation as the head coach of Sri Lanka. He held the position for two years, starting from April 2022.
“Being an international coach means long periods away from loved ones. After lengthy conversations with my family and with a heavy heart, I feel it is now time for me to return home and spend some quality time together,” said Silverwood.
“I would like to thank the players, coaches, backroom staff, and management of the SLC for their support during my time in Sri Lanka. Without your support, none of the success would have been possible.”
Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup 2022 under Silverwood’s tenure and reached the final of the 2023 edition, where they were decimated by India.
The Asian side also defeated Australia in a home ODI series, however, they failed to reach the knockout stage of any of the ICC tournaments with Chris Silverwood at the helm.
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