Sanath Jayasuriya appointed Sri Lanka's interim head coach: Details here
Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed the side's interim head coach. As of now, his tenure is set to end with Sri Lanka's Test tour to England in mid-September. Jayasuriya, who made waves with his explosive batting, was Sri Lanka Cricket's consultant before being named the interim head coach. Jayasuriya replaces Chris Silverwood, who resigned following SL's disastrous T20 World Cup campaign.
The appointment of Jayasuriya
As mentioned, SLC appointed Jayasuriya following Silverwood's resignation from the post in June. During the latter's tenure, SL failed to reach the Super 8 at the 2024 T20 World Cup. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva, thereafter, stated that the board would look for candidates for the role. It was learned that the a local could be picked for the role.
Jayasuriya's previous roles
Jayasuriya has previously served as SLC's cricket consultant and chief selector. Notably, the 55-year-old was with the Lankan side during the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, as a cricket consultant. In February 2019, Jayasuriya was banned for two years from any cricket-centric activity as he refused to co-operate with investigations regarding corruption in the country. The ban had taken effect from October 15, 2018.
Jayasuriya played for SL between 1989 and 2011
Jayasuriya remains one of the greatest batters and openers of all-time. The left-handed batter, who was known for providing blistering starts, ruled the ODI format. His spell-binding knocks defined Sri Lanka's golden period. In a career spanning nearly 22 years, Jayasuriya amassed 21,032 runs from 586 internationals at an average of 34.14. He is still the third-most capped player in the 50-over format.
Over 400 wickets across formats
Besides his monstrous hitting, Jayasuriya also stood out as a handy off-spinner. He has snapped up 440 wickets from 586 internationals at 35.66, including best match figures of 9/74. Moreover, he is the only ODI player in 10,000-run club to have taken over 300 wickets.
