Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya has expressed pride in his team’s hard work following their historic ODI series victory over India but has indicated that he is unlikely to take on the role full-time.
Under Jayasuriya’s guidance, Sri Lanka overcame a confidence crisis after a 3-0 T20I series defeat to India, bouncing back to claim their first bilateral ODI series victory against their neighbours in 27 years.
Jayasuriya, a legendary former Sri Lankan captain, credited intense batting practice and a strategic seven-day coaching program led by Zubin Bharucha of the Rajasthan Royals also for the team’s turnaround. He praised his players for their dedication, which allowed them to perform consistently and build the confidence needed to beat the world’s top-ranked ODI side.
“I got Zubin from Rajasthan Royals and he came and did a seven-day coaching program. We learnt a lot, the players learnt a lot on how to bat long innings, and one batsman was batting for 2-3 hours. That gave the batters a lot of confidence,” Jayasuriya said.
Despite the success, Jayasuriya remains committed to his initial agreement to serve as interim head coach only through the upcoming Test series against England. He hopes Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will soon find a permanent head coach to continue building on the team’s recent achievements.
“Sri Lanka cricket is looking for a coach at the moment. I stepped in for two series: the India series and the England series. They will look for a coach, I’m there as an in-charge for high performance but I will support Sri Lanka cricket,” he added.
As Sri Lanka prepares for the England series, the search for a long-term head coach will be a priority for SLC, with the aim of sustaining the momentum generated by Jayasuriya’s short but impactful tenure. (Newswire)