Mahela Jayawardene, a former Sri Lankan batsman, has been appointed as the national team’s consultant for the first round of the 2018 T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) made the decision based on Jayawardene’s incredible track record with the Mumbai Indians and his ready-made insights following his spell in the Indian Premier League with most of the top international stars on the same UAE tracks where the T20 World Cup will be held.
After his stint with the senior squad in the lead-up to the ICC U-19 World Cup in the West Indies, Jayawardene will also serve as a consultant and mentor for the U-19 side. The ICC said on Friday that his time with the national team will be for seven days, from October 16 to 23 and that his time with the Under 19 team will be for five months.
He will join the national team following the conclusion of the IPL, where he is currently the head coach of the Mumbai Indians.
The CEO of the Sri Lankan Cricket Board, Ashley De Silva, put out a statement on his promotion: “We are very happy to welcome Mahela into his new roles, as his presence with the Sri Lanka Team and the U19 Team is going to help the players immensely.”
“From his playing days, Mahela was respected for the vast cricketing knowledge he brought into the game, first as a player, then as a Captain, now as a Coach for different teams.”
Jayawardene played for Sri Lanka in 149 Tests, 448 One-Day Internationals, and 55 Twenty-20 Internationals during his remarkable career.
With 11814 runs, 34 centuries, and 50 half-centuries in Test cricket, he finished as Sri Lanka’s second-best scorer. In the conventional format, Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 12400 is still the best in the country.
Former cricketer Jayawardene was offered a full-time coaching position by Sri Lankan Cricket some time ago, but he declined. The young Lankan cricketers will undoubtedly gain from Jayawardene’s tactical skill and significant experience in a high-pressure situation.
