Sri Lanka head coach asked to return to Sri Lanka from South Africa

Sri Lankan cricket team head coach Chandika Hathurusingha was on Thursday told to return home from South Africa in the middle of the One-Day International series, with fielding coach Steve Rixon given complete charge for the subsequent T20 series.

“Hathurusingha has been asked to return from South Africa after the final ODI. Steve Rixon will take charge for the T20 series,” Shammi Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket President said on Thursday.

Hathurusingha will be returning to Sri Lanka after the final ODI game in Cape Town on March 16. South Africa are leading the series 4-0.

Rixon, the fielding coach, will take charge of the team for the three T20 games between March 19 and 24, Silva said.

Silva said the SLC will ask Hathurusingha about his plans for the World Cup in England from May-July.

Hathurusingha became Sri Lanka’s head coach in December 2017 after leading Bangladesh to success. However under him, Sri Lanka have slipped in the ICC rankings and failed to secure an automatic qualification for 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.

They may be struggling in ODIs but Sri Lanka made history by becoming the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa.

Source: PTI

-Agencies