The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) on Wednesday officially informed all the national team coaches, including high profile head coach Chandika Hathurasingha, to step down by July 31st, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The decision was taken during yesterday’s management committee meeting at SLC, after considering Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister special directive to urge all the national team coaches to resign.
“As per the directive from Sports Minister, the board has officially asked all the coaches to resign after Bangladesh ODIs” a senior SLC administrator told Cricket Age.
Sports Minister Harin Fernando, on July 17, urged all the coaches of national team, including Hathurusingha, to resign, on the wake of a underwhelming world cup campaign.
“This is to bring to your notice that as the minister of telecommunication, foreign employment and Sports, by virtue of powers vested in me under section 39 (1) of the Sports act, hereby issued a special directive to Sri Lanka Cricket to take steps to remove all coaches of national team with effect from 01st August 2019” Sports Minister’s letter, dated 17 July, reads.
In their World Cup campaign, Sri Lanka won three, lost four matches, with two abandoned due to rain. The team were knocked out from the first round and it was an unsuccessful campaign. Sri Lanka’s performance in the mega event was more pathetic than even Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Both the neighbor countries, even though we’re behind Sri Lanka in points table, fought hard, gave some of the most remarkable moments of the tournament and scared big teams like India, Australia and Pakistan!
Sri Lanka’s performance, on the other hand, was all about some individuals performances. Few times, dynamic Kusal Perera sparked, another few times young Avishka Fernando stole the show. In between, old horses Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews proved their worth, by winning one or two games on their own.
But with individuals brilliance, one can win one or two matches, not the tournaments like World Cup! That’s where, Sri Lanka scored zero. As a team, they were far behind than even Bangladesh and Afghanistan!
The blame goes to Hathurusingha solely! He was the man in charge. For last two years, Sri Lanka prepared under his supervision. Right after his arrival, he identified and trusted on his own preferred players for the mega event – Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilika, Thisara Perera, Kusal Mendis. While Dickwella and Gunathilika turned that much ordinary that couldn’t even secure their places for the World Cup, Thisara and Mendis played the world cup and proved that Hathurusingha’s vision for the World Cup was nothing but disaster!
SLC, feeling pressure after ordinary showings in showpiece event, are focusing on damage control. Hiring of Dave Whatmore, ongoing talks with foreign coaches and a proposed domestic restructure, all are part of SLC plan to start afresh!
