On June 26, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) revealed that Mahela Jayawardene has stepped down from his role as the national consultant coach. This move happened shortly after Sri Lanka was eliminated early from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Jayawardene, who served in this position for two years, also advised the Sri Lanka men’s Under-19 and Sri Lanka A teams. Throughout his time, he played a crucial role in making major changes to the national team’s structure and the High-Performance Center.
The board did not disclose the specific reasons for Jayawardene’s resignation. However, it is likely influenced by Sri Lanka’s underwhelming performance in the T20 World Cup, where the team managed only one victory, defeating the Netherlands by 83 runs, and failed to qualify for the Super 8s. In a statement, Sri Lanka Cricket expressed its gratitude for Jayawardene’s contributions: “Sri Lanka Cricket takes this opportunity to wish Mahela all the best in his future endeavours and thank him for the services he rendered during his tenure.”
Jayawardene started working as a consultant coach on December 13, 2021, but his official duties began on January 1, 2022. He focused on improving the national team’s performance and upgrading the country’s cricket facilities. Even though there have been some problems recently, the Sri Lanka Cricket board recognizes his impact and the important changes he has made.
Sri Lanka Cricket highlighted how Jayawardene’s work greatly helped the national team grow and improve the overall cricket system in Sri Lanka. The board’s message showed their gratitude for his important help while he was a consultant coach. “Jayawardene made big changes to the national team’s setup and the High-Performance Center while he was working with us,” the board explained.
