COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricket great Sanath Jayasuriya was appointed the country’s full-time head coach on Monday, following his interim role that started in June.
Jayasuriya replaces Chris Silverwood, who resigned after Sri Lanka’s disappointing early exit from the T20 World Cup. The 55-year-old will now mentor the national team until March 2026.
Jayasuriya’s appointment comes after recent successful campaigns, including a Test match win in England and a 2-0 home series sweep against New Zealand. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka also ended a 27-year drought by winning a one-day international series against India.
The former Sri Lanka captain expressed his joy at being offered the full-time position, calling it a “dream come true.” Speaking to reporters in Colombo, Jayasuriya acknowledged the challenges of the job but remained optimistic.
“It is a challenging job, I know that… but I want to take the challenge and move forward with the team,” he said. “There are no words for me to express my happiness.”
Jayasuriya’s immediate focus will be on preparing his squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies, consisting of three ODIs and three T20s. He emphasized the importance of trust and open communication between himself and the players.
“The boys will need a lot of trust with the coach and confidence with the coach,” Jayasuriya said. “Anytime they can approach me and discuss anything with me.”
One of the key advantages Jayasuriya highlighted was his ability to communicate with the players in their native language, something he feels sets him apart from foreign coaches.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said the board had considered several foreign coaches but ultimately chose to go with Jayasuriya due to his recent successes. De Silva also confirmed that Jayasuriya’s remuneration package is comparable to what would have been offered to a foreign coach.
Jayasuriya, widely regarded as one of the best one-day international batsmen in cricket history, played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup victory. Over his illustrious career, he represented Sri Lanka 586 times across all three formats, scoring 42 centuries and taking 440 wickets before retiring from international cricket in 2011.
