SYDNEY: Former Sri Lanka captain and chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya was appointed head coach of Mulgrave Cricket Club, a little-known club in Australia, joining two fellow countrymen at the ambitious side.
Mulgrave Cricket Club, which plays in Victoria’s Eastern Cricket Association, said the 110-Test veteran would be in charge for the 2021/22 season.
“We are thrilled to have Sanath at the club to coach and work with our players, providing a fantastic wealth of experience for our seniors and juniors,” it said on Facebook.
“Sanath is a legend of Sri Lankan cricket, having played 110 Test matches at an average of over 40, with a highest score of 340. He has also played 445 ODIs and was the Player of the Series in the 1996 World Cup, where he was a part of the winning Sri Lankan side.”
In a Facebook post, Sanath said: “I am very excited and pleased to announce that I will be joining Mulgrave cricket club in Melbourne as head coach for the upcoming season of 21/22. I look forward to working with everyone closely and bringing the Red and Blue all the success in the upcoming season.”
Jayasuriya, 51, will join fellow Sri Lankans Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, who had already signed on as players. Dilshan is the captain of the MCC side and expects to lead his club to great heights with the support of Jayasuriya.
Mulgrave president Malin Pullenayegam said Dilshan, who played with Jayasuriya in a Sri Lanka Legends’ side earlier this year, was instrumental in helping secure his services.
“We’ve been having a chat to him for a while through obviously Dilshan as a contact,” he told the Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper.
“They caught up during the legends series and started having a few discussions.
“Dilshan opened the door for us there, and it was a fantastic opportunity that was presented to us,” he added. “We just had to work on it and come to an agreement, and we have.”
Jayasuriya represented Sri Lanka 586 times across the three formats of the game, smacking 42 centuries and taking 440 wickets. He played his last international in 2011.
