HATHURUSINGHE TO BE REMOVED

Jerome Jayaratne appointed Interim Coach

Chandika Hathurusinghe is to be removed as Head Coach of the national team, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sources told the Daily Mirror. The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Executive Committee will meet today where the decision will be formerly taken, the source, who is a top SLC official, said.

The decision follows a letter sent by Sports Minister Harin Fernando to SLC President Shammi Silva yesterday directing SLC to abstain from appointing Hathurusinghe as the coach for the upcoming New Zealand tour.

“We can’t ignore the directive issued by the Minister. Also we tried to be reasonable and give Hathurusinghe a fair hearing and to re-negotiate his contract, but he was rigid and was not willing to negotiate. So we decided the best thing was to

look at terminating the contract,” the official claimed, adding that SLC was prepared for any legal action that could result from the decision. The Daily Mirror reached out to Hathurusinghe for a comment, but he did not respond at the time of going to print.

SLC Chief Operating Officer and former Head of Coaching Jerome Jayaratne has been appointed as interim coach for the upcoming tour, the official confirmed.

Minister Fernando last month issued a directive to SLC to not issue extensions to coaches attached to the national team who were contracted to the end of the Cricket World Cup in July, and to renegotiate with coaches whose tenure was yet to expire, and asking SLC to carry out the changes before the New Zealand tour. However, SLC had asked the Minister for an extension last Friday to carry out the directives, which has now been effectively denied, at least in regards to Hathurusinghe’s case.

Hathurusinghe’s existing contract has been a topic of debate and criticism and reportedly includes a clause that requires SLC to pay hefty compensation in the event it wanted to terminate the agreement. Fernando has repeatedly criticized this arrangement since taking office last December, even seeking legal advice on how Hathurusinghe could be removed.