NEW DELHI:
Sri Lanka Cricket
(
SLC
) on Thursday announced the appointment of former opener
Sanath Jayasuriya
as the full-time
cricket consultant
for a duration of one year. The decision to bring Jayasuriya on board is part of an effort to foster the all-round development of cricket in the country.
This move comes in conjunction with the recent reconstitution of the national selection panel, with former opener
Upul Tharanga
taking on the role of the new lead selector.
The changes in both the coaching and selection domains indicate a strategic approach by SLC to enhance the overall landscape of the sport in the country.
“Under this role, Jayasuriya will be responsible for ensuring that SLC national programmes achieve an optimum level of professionalism and that all players and coaching staff are monitored in order to deliver excellence,” the SLC said in a media release.
“Accordingly, he will oversee the training, coaching requirements of all teams aligned with the high-performance center.
“He will also establish national specialist skills programmes with key staff aligned to lead roles within each skill discipline, among several other tasks,” the release added.
Jayasuriya will promptly begin his responsibilities in his newly appointed role, operating from the High-Performance Center at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. His involvement is a part of Sri Lanka's broader initiative to revitalise their cricketing fortunes.
The move comes in the aftermath of Sri Lanka's disappointing performance in the recent ODI World Cup, where they finished in the ninth position among the 10 teams, securing only two wins from nine matches.
The appointment of Jayasuriya as cricket consultant signals a proactive approach by SLC to address and rectify the shortcomings observed during the World Cup campaign.
(With PTI inputs)