Sri Lanka appoint Jayaratne as interim cricket coach

Jerome Jayaratne will be Sri Lanka's interim coach for the home series against West Indies beginning next month, the country's cricket board announced.

Sri Lanka were without a head coach after Marvan Atapattu resigned earlier this month following the team's back-to-back home Test series defeat by Pakistan and India.

Instead of finding a full-time replacement, Sri Lanka put its head of coaching and former under-19 player Jayaratne in temporary charge of a team grappling with a tricky transition following the retirement of batting stalwarts Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Beginning on October 14, West Indies play two Tests, three one-dayers and two Twenty20 Internationals in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cricket is likely to appoint a full-time coach before the team leaves for their New Zealand tour in December.

Image: Jerome Jayaratne

Photograph courtesy: Sri Lanka Cricket