(UTV|COLOMBO) – Former bowler Rumesh Ratnayake has been named Sri Lanka interim coach for their home Test series against New Zealand.
His appointment puts the future of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha in doubt.
Hathurusingha has been criticised for poor recent results, including a group-stage exit at this year’s World Cup.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva said: “We’ve been watching the coach’s performance for over a year-and-a-half. Based on that, we’ve taken this decision.”
Silva added: “I was also in the board that recruited Hathurusingha, and we’ve made some mistakes. But if we are to do right by cricket in [the] future, we have to correct those mistakes.”
Silva said Hathurusingha had been sent an explanatory letter and SLC would wait 14 days for his response.
Hathurusingha was appointed Sri Lanka coach in November 2017 after leaving a similar role with Bangladesh.
Ratnayake has been Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach since August 2017. He also coached Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers at the 2015 World Cup and was interim head coach during Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2011.
Sri Lanka play New Zealand in a two-Test series starting on 14 August.
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