Mahela Jayawardene has been appointed as the "consultant coach" of Sri Lanka's national teams. Effective January 1, 2022, the duration of Jayawardene's appointment is for one year and made by Sri Lanka Cricket's Executive Committee in consultation with the Technical Advisory Committee.
In his new role, Jayawardene 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," according to Sri Lanka Cricket.
''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. 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," 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,’ De Silva, added.
Mahela Jayawardene, who is considered one of the best tacticians, especially in the shortest format of the game after his stint with the Mumbai Indians. Jayawardene, who took over from Ricky Ponting in 2016, has overseen three title-winning campaigns (2017, 2019 and 2020) with Mumbai Indians.
"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.
"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.
"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."
Recently, Mickey Arthur left his role as the head coach of Sri Lanka to join county side, Derbyshire as its Director of Cricket. Arthur was in charge when Sri Lanka defeated West Indies 2-0 at home last month.
