SLC confirms Hathuru signing

by Champika Fernando

Ending months of speculation, Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday confirmed the signing of Chandika Hathurusingha as head coach of the national team. Hathurusingha will assume duties on December 20, a Sri Lanka Cricket statement said.

Hathurusingha who was Bangladesh head coach until recently vacated his post after his home board offered a lucrative offer to take over the national side. 

Hathurusingha is currently head coach of the Bangladesh national team with whom he is contracted till the 2019 World Cup. Under his mentorship, the Tigers made giant strides in world cricket. They reached the semi-finals of the recent Champions Trophy tournament in England and also drew their recent series against Sri Lanka for the first time in Bangladesh cricket history.

In 2009, Hathurusingha was the Sri Lankan team’s “shadow coach” but was cold-shouldered by a controversial administration headed by DS de Silva despite a glowing recommendation made on his behalf by Kumar Sangakkara. With Sangakkara’s pleas failing to convince the Board, Hathurusingha left for Australia and then moved on to Bangladesh. While in Australia he was the Assistant Coach of New South Wales cricket team and also the head coach of Sydney Thunders. 

He will be the highest paid Sri Lanka coach ever drawing a monthly salary of US$ 30,000, approximately Rs 4.5 million.