‘Hathurusingha will be a great fit’ – SLC president

Sri Lanka have finally confirmed their interest in having Chandika Hathurusingha as head coach, with the president of the SLC Thilanga Sumathipala saying he would be “a great fit for us”.

The position had fallen vacant in June earlier this year when Graham Ford resigned after a second stint that lasted a mere 15 months. The SLC elevated Nic Pothas as interim coach as it began to look for a suitable candidate.

Hathurusingha has previously admitted to a desire to give back to Sri Lankan cricket but was contracted with the Bangladesh Cricket Board as their head coach. He might have occupied the post until the end of the 2019 World Cup, but in October, as Bangladesh were touring South Africa, Hathurusingha sent in his resignation to the BCB and cut all ties with the board.

The SLC release states it is currently in discussion with Hathurusingha’s lawyers and is ready to “offer him the position” of head coach if he has been released from his contract with the BCB. To that end, Sumathipala has written to his counterpart Nazmul Hassan for further information.

“There’s no doubt that Hathuru would be a great fit for us with the direction of both our short and long terms goals,” Sumathipala said. “I have written personally to the BCB President – Mr. Nazmul Hassan informing him of our intentions. The Executive Committee is both convinced & confident that he is the right man for the job, and we would like to bring him on board in a professional and transparent manner”

If Hathurusingha is appointed Sri Lanka’s coach, his first assignment may well be against Bangladesh, whom they play in a tri-series also featuring with Zimbabwe in January 2018.