Sanath Jayasuriya named Sri Lanka’s interim head coach ahead of India series

Colombo : Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as the interim head coach of the men's national team ahead of the home limited-overs series against India, scheduled later this month.

The former attacking batter has replaced Chris Silverwood in the role after the latter stepped down following their ravaging campaign in the T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement that Jayasuriya will function in the position until the completion of Sri Lanka's tour of England in September 2024.

Jayasuriya's first assignment as head coach will be the three T20Is and as many ODIs against India, starting on July 27. He is currently serving as the full-time ‘cricket consultant’ of Sri Lanka Cricket.

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

From 1991 to 2007, Jayasuriya played 110 Test matches, amassing 6973 runs at an average of 40.07 thanks to 14 hundreds and 31 fifties. The left-hander scored 13,430 runs at an average of 32.36 in 445 ODIs 28 hundreds and 68 half-centuries. He played a crucial role in Sri Lanka's 1996 ODI World Cup victory.