(BCCI Credit)
Mahela Jayawardene has resigned from his role as Consultant Coach of Sri Lanka, effective immediately, as announced by Sri Lanka Cricket on Wednesday, June 26th.
The former Sri Lankan captain initially joined the team in 2022 for a one-year term, which was later extended by SLC for another year. SLC expressed gratitude to Mahela Jayawardene for his contributions and wished him well in his future endeavors, although they did not disclose the reasons for his departure.
“Jayawardena, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center,” said a statement from the board.
“Sri Lanka Cricket takes this opportunity to wish Mahela all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for the services he rendered during his tenure,” they further added.
Mahela Jayawardene’s resignation follows Sri Lanka’s disappointing performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka Cricket did not cite specific reasons for his abrupt departure, but it coincides with the team’s early exit from the tournament after managing only one victory.
Their campaign started with a significant defeat to South Africa by six wickets, where they were dismissed for just 77 runs under Wanindu Hasaranga’s captaincy. This was followed by a narrow two-wicket loss to Bangladesh. Their third match against Nepal was abandoned due to rain, sealing their fate in the tournament. Sri Lanka concluded their World Cup journey with a convincing 83-run win over the Netherlands.
This recent exit extends Sri Lanka’s disappointing run in global events, as they failed to progress beyond the league stage in the previous year’s ODI World Cup, finishing ninth out of ten teams and missing out on qualification for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Looking ahead, India, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan have qualified for the T20 World Cup semifinals. South Africa will face Afghanistan in the first semifinal, while India and England will clash in the second semifinal.
