Sitting at Taj Samudra since last few weeks, Sri Lanka’s director of cricket Tom Moody is busy in evaluating High Performance Centre (HPC) coaches and accordingly many high profile recruits are likely to be removed from their positions, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The coaches at HPC, Khetterma comes under Chief Cricket Operations Officer (CCOO). Majority of coaches at HPC were recruited on the recommendation of Tim Maccasil. Now, Maccasil held a new, more powerful position of Head of National Cricket Development, which was specifically created for him by Moody.
According to the sources, HPC is filled with many non performing coaches like Hashan Tillakratne, Malinda Warnapura, Ravindra Pushpkumara, Sachith Pathirana and Sumithra Warnakulasuriya.
Tillakratne, an utter failure as coach at every level, is now placed at HPC only due to not so unknown reasons! In his coaching career so far, he has failed miserably with National team, U19 team and even in Lanka Premier League (LPL) inaugural edition. Warnapura, Pushpkumara and Pathirana are also surviving only because of non cricketing reasons! In past, three left arm spinners – Sajeewa Weerakoon, Dinuk Hettiarachchi and Pathirana – were recruited, by sidelining right arm leg spinners. While, Sajeewa (who is currently in Bangladesh as spin bowling coach) and Dinuk proved their worth, Pathiriana remained unworthy! Warnakulasuriya, meanwhile, suffering from a leg injury since long time and is unable to walk even!
“Just to show off, Moody is evaluating HPC coaches. However, it’s very unlikely that he will give negative marks to non performers like Tillakratne, Pathirana. Most probably, he will be ended up recommending to remove some unknown coaches and will fulfill his task” an Insider at HPC told Cricket Age.
Moody has been engaged by SLC for $200K salary per annum plus other remunerations. The three year contract requires Moody to spend 110 days in Sri Lanka annually although initially the discussion was for him to spend 180 days in Colombo. However, the parties had settled for little over 100 days.
As IPL has ended abruptly, Moody is fulfilling his Sri Lanka’s duty, thanks to a forced stay!
“He had no other choice but to come to Sri Lanka after IPL postponed. The Australian players, coaches, match officials and commentators were transported from India to the Maldives, as their government has Imposed travel pause pertaining to flights from India. Moody considered it as an opportunity to add some more days in his mandatory annual stay in Sri Lanka, so instead of going Maldives with his colleagues, he arrived in the Island” an Insider at SLC had told Cricket Age.
