Sri Lanka legend appointed interim head coach of men’s team

Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya will take the reins of the men’s national team as the interim head coach with immediate effect and will hold the position until the completion of the tour of England.

Sri Lanka will travel to England for a three-match Test series, starting on 21 August. 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 Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as a selector and currently holds the role of full-time Cricket Consultant.

Speaking on the appointment, Ashley De Silva, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket said: “Sanath with his wealth of international cricketing experience is well-positioned to guide the national team, until we find a permanent solution.”