Sri Lanka shock as head coach steps down from role
Chris Silverwood has cited personal reasons behind his decision to resign from the position of head coach of Sri Lanka.
The former England pacer had been appointed to the role in April 2022 and oversaw the Sri Lanka Men's cricket team in several important tournaments and series.
Under Silverwood's tenure, Sri Lanka secured important wins including the Asia Cup 2022, the home ODI series against Australia, and the away Test series against Bangladesh. They also reached the finals of Asia Cup 2023.
However, Sri Lanka failed to make it to the knockout stages of recent ICC tournaments, including the two most recent ICC Men's T20 World Cups in 2022 and 2024 and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023 while Silverwood was coach.
Sri Lanka's campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup ended when they failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage.
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Silverwood cited personal reasons for his resignation.
“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."
His resignation is the second high-profile exit from Sri Lanka management following Mahela Jayawardena's departure from the post of 'Consultant Coach' on 26 June.
Jayawardena, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Centre.