New Delhi, March 2 – Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya, who served as the team’s head coach during their recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, said that members and officials of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss future plans after the co-hosts failed to reach the semifinals of the tournament.
“There will be a meeting with Sri Lanka Cricket tomorrow. We will discuss the future plans then. Sri Lanka played some of their games really well. I will share more details after the meeting,” Jayasuriya told reporters.
Jayasuriya decided to step down as the team’s head coach after Sri Lanka’s close defeat to Pakistan, which marked the end of their World Cup campaign. While he hadn't formally notified SLC of his decision, he mentioned that this World Cup would be his final role.
"I thought it was time to give it to someone else. That's why, about two months ago, during the England series, I had said that I didn't expect to stay in the job for long. I had already made that decision. I thought I would be able to leave as coach on a good note during the World Cup. However, I wasn't able to do that as well as I had hoped, and I'm disappointed about that,” the veteran had said after Sri Lanka’s last T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan.
Although Jayasuriya had made up his mind to step down, he did not explicitly confirm that he would do so immediately. Sri Lanka has a limited-overs series against Afghanistan scheduled to start on March 13, although that series is now at risk due to the ongoing situation in West Asia. The board might want him to stay for that tour.
"My contract runs until June. I haven't officially informed SLC yet. They also don't know that I am planning to do this. I will need to go and discuss it with them. If they can find someone (to replace him), then definitely (they should),” he had stated.
Sri Lanka, co-hosts of the T20 World Cup alongside India, had a disappointing campaign at the tournament, despite playing at home, as they struggled to find consistency in both batting and bowling.
Sri Lanka, placed in a competitive group, struggled to gain momentum after early setbacks. They had won three out of four matches in the initial T20 World Cup group stage, including a notable victory over Australia, but injuries to key players Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana disrupted their progress, leading to a winless conclusion to their Super Eights campaign as they incurred losses against England, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
