In order to take a final decision on national team head coach Chandika Hathurasingha removal, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) have called for an emergency meeting of its Executive Committee (ExCo) today 1 PM, Cricket Age reliably learns. After the ExCo meeting, Hathurusingha Will be officially asked to vacant head coach position of Sri Lanka national team.
On Friday, SLC had requested Sports Minister Harin Fernando to allow national team head coach Chandika Hathurasingha to continue until the upcoming New Zealand Series.
According to sources, Harin and SLC took the decision to give few more days to Hathurusingha, only for him to walk out gracefully and without any controversy.
However, Hathurusingha, with keeping an eye on his million dollars salary only, has refused to leave national team gracefully and has also refused to make an amicable settlement with SLC.
That has left SLC and Harin Fernando with only one option, that is to terminate Hathurusingha’s contract.
“As per the directive issued by honorable Sports Minister Harin Fernando to remove all the coaches, including Hathurusingha, the board to take final decision in its Executive Committee meeting today and will ask Hathurusingha to leave” a senior SLC administrator told Cricket Age.
In meantime, the SLC has already appointed its COO Jerome Jayarathne as national team interim coach for New Zealand series. With this move, SLC are hoping to provide much needed stability to the national side, Amids controversy surrounding Hathurusingha. Jerome, even though is a failure as SLC COO, has been considered as good, capable coach. More importantly for Sri Lanka at this particular time, he has coached national team in the past and shares good rapport with players.
New Zealand have already arrived in the Island for one month long tour. The first Test will be played in Galle starting August 14, and the second will begin on August 22 at Colombo’s P Sara stadium.
Three T20s will be played on August 31, September 2 and September 6.
