The former England pacer Chris Silverwood has stepped down from the position of Sri Lanka’s Head Coach position due to personal reasons.
Chris Silverwood Resigns as Sri Lanka Head Coach
The SLC Cricket has announced that Chris Silverwood has resigned from the position of Head coach on Thursday 27. His decision comes close with Mahela Jayawardene’s resignation as consultant bowling coach after Sri Lanka’s disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign where they failed to qualify for Super 8s.
He has been the head coach of the Sri Lanka Men’s cricket team since April 2022 and has guided the side in several important tournaments. He earned success in his tenure as Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup 2022 and also oversaw an ODI bilateral series win 3-2 against Australia at Home. They also finished up as runners in the 2023 Asia Cup after India won the title for the sixth time.
But, the cricket team has suffered back-to-back defeats as they failed to qualify to knock out stages in the ICC tournaments, T20 World Cup 2022 and 2024 edition, and ODI World Cup 2023 under his tenure.
“Being an international coach means long periods away from loved ones. After lengthy conversations with my family and with a heavy heart, I feel it is now time for me to return home and spend some quality time together,” said Silverwood.
“I would like to thank the players, coaches, backroom staff, and management of the SLC for their support during my time in Sri Lanka. Without your support, none of the success would have been possible.”
Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardene resigned from the position of consultant coach on June 26. He was the one behind the significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the high-performance center.
Jayawardene first took up the role starting in 2022 for a period of one year following which it was extended for another year.
“Jayawardena, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center,” said an SLC Statement.
