CHARITH TO BE AXED

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Manager Charith Senanayake is likely to be replaced after the South African tour - few months ahead of his contract which ends in April, a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official confirmed yesterday.

Senanayake was reinstated as Manager - his second stint in the position in April this year after he was unceremoniously ousted in February 2013, but the Board is reportedly ‘unhappy’ with the former cricketer’s conduct.

“There have been several complaints on his conduct,” said the official on the condition of anonymity. “There’s hardly anytime to get a new man appointed before the South African tour but we are on the look out for a possible replacement after that.

“He has a very bad relationship with the team staff and also some players were not happy with the way he treated them. There were complaints that he often used very bad language. There were also charges of negligence of his duties” the SLC official added.

Senanayake who is also a marketing expert served SLC as the Head of Marketing for three years from 2008 to 2011 but had to leave when the Interim Committee headed by D. S. de Silva did not renew his contract.

One year later, Senanayake came back as Manager of the National Team replacing Anura Tennakoon but his term was cut short when he breached his contract terms.

Senanayake forwarded a letter from the then Sri Lanka Captain Mahela Jayawardene who claimed that he has “lost all confidence in dealing with SLC in the future” after a confidential document Mahela had handed over to the SLC was published in the ‘ ’.

SLC immediately issued a media statement and claimed that both Jayawardene and Senanayake had breached their contract terms.

He has a very bad relationship with the team staff and also some players were not happy with the way he treated them

Senanayake who will be celebrating his 54th birthday on December 19, played three Tests against New Zealand on the 1991 tour, and seven ODI’S in 1990 and 1991 with moderate success.

Meanwhile, SLC is also making drastic changes to its administrative carder as they have decided against renewing contracts of several officers of the senior management.

Among them were Head of Cricket Operation Carlton Bernardus, Media Manager Rajith Fernando and Human Resources Manager Lasitha Mendis.

Bernardus 57, was sent on retirement on Monday (5) as his contract with the SLC ended while Fernando and Mendis will leave the board at the end of this month.

Both of them have been informed yesterday of SLC’S decision not to grant their service extensions. Fernando, who is one of the longest serving media managers having done almost five years in the job is likely to be replaced by a close confidante of the President.

However the Board will offer service extensions to its CEO Ashely de Silva and Head of Finance Chandramalee Korale whose contracts ended on Monday.