Sanath Jayasuriya named as Sri Lanka’s full-time head coach

The hiring of Sanath Jayasuriya as the next national team head coach has been announced by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). SLC’s Executive Committee made the choice.

A significant two-year contract has been offered to Jayasuriya; it will run from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026. He was appointed head coach after a successful interim term in which the squad performed well against cricketing heavyweights England, India, and New Zealand.

Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as the head coach of the national team.

The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made this decision taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England,… pic.twitter.com/IkvAIJgqio

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) October 7, 2024

Sanath Jayasuriya is in a good position to lead the national squad because of his experience: CEO of SLC

He was hired as Sri Lanka’s cricket consultant in December of last year, with a one-year contract. This marked the beginning of his coaching career. Following the resignation of Chris Silverwood in July of this year, he was then named as the head coach in interim. He led the squad to victory in a home ODI series against India and a strong showing in the most recent England Test trip.

Jayasuriya’s influence as an interim coach made the selection easier for SLC, even though they had originally intended to post the job and examine both domestic and foreign candidates.

“Sanath, with his extensive experience playing cricket for India, is well-positioned to lead the national team until we find a long-term solution,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva had earlier stated in a statement.

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With 13,430 runs, the southpaw continues to rank fifth all-time in ODI run scoring. With 323 ODI wickets, he is the 12th best wicket-taker in the game.