COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket has officially announced the appointment of interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya as the permanent coach of the men’s team. The decision came after the Lions put in impressive performances under the former cricketer. In early July, the legendary player was appointed as interim head coach after Chris Silverwood and Mahela Jayawardene resigned from their posts. Former head coach Silverwood and consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene have resigned following Sri Lanka’s disappointing performance in this year’s T20 World Cup. Since then, one of the greatest all-rounders has worked effortlessly to revive the team. His efforts saw the Lions secure a 2-0 victory in the ODI series against India in August and the Test against England at the Oval. Furthermore, Sri Lanka have registered an impressive first Test win against the Black Caps in the ongoing series and are halfway to winning the second as well. After witnessing his role in boosting players’ confidence in the dressing room, she was widely praised. On a related note, former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews could not resist praising the 55-year-old. He said, “I think Sanath Jayasuriya is taking over.” When he was the director of cricket, he got the confidence and now he has become a coach. Even though she is nervous, she gives us all confidence. That’s a huge difference.” And he added: “Sanath has done a great job looking after the young players and looking after each one of us. I think he has done a tremendous job. I wish him all the best for the future.”
