Mahela Jayawardena appointed Sri Lanka’s Consultant Coach

Former Sri Lanka Cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena has been appointed as the national team’s ‘Consultant Coach’ for the period of one year, starting from January 1, 2022.

Jayawardena, in his new role, which is effective for a period of one year, will be in charge of the overall cricketing element of the national teams and will provide invaluable strategic support for the players and management teams at the High-Performance Center, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said.

“We are extremely happy that Mahela is joining the National Team for an extended role, especially given the context that Sri Lanka has a heavy international calendar during the year 2022,’’ said Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket.

“Mahela’s contributions during the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup became invaluable for the overall performances of our team in the concluded event,” added De Silva.

Jayawardena will continue to perform in his role with the Under-19 team, as it prepares for next year’s ICC under-19 World Cup to be held in the West Indies.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with the national cricketers and coaches in our various development squads, including the U19 and A Team teams, to help us do justice to the enormous cricketing talent and potential in Sri Lanka,” said Mahela Jayawardena.

“I am very passionate about Sri Lankan cricket and believe that with a coordinated and focused team effort, taking a holistic approach working across all age groups, we can achieve consistent success in the future,” he added.

“My main role will be supporting our team of national coaches and support staff in terms of our preparation and strategic thinking during the coming year.”