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Six months into his employment, former Sri Lankan batter Mahela Jayawardene, who had signed a one-year extension as their consulting coach in January, tendered his resignation.
Beginning in 2022, Jayawardene’s tenure with SLC was marked by mixed fortunes; his most memorable moments were an unexpected victory in the 2022 Asia Cup and a subsequent run to the championship game a year later. His employment was under review due to his dismal performances at the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup, despite SLC’s desire to keep him on staff due to his excellent work behind the scenes.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Mr. Mahela Jayawardene, who served as the ‘Consultant Coach’ of the SLC, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect,” an SLC media release said. “Jayawardene, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center.”
Jayawardene’s role has grown even within the national team in recent years; he travelled with the team for the major tournaments in 2022 and 2023. However, his absence from the ongoing T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, where Sri Lanka failed to reach the Super Eight, was noticeable.
As it happened, newly hired cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya travelled with the team in place of Jayawardene, who was originally supposed to travel with them. In December of last year, Jayasuriya was named for the newly-created position. At first glance, the role appeared to share some similarities with Jayawardene’s, as it was understood to cover everything from technical and strategic planning to the general development of the national squad.
“It has become apparent to me that current decision-making is no longer fully aligned with the direction we were taking in some of these areas, and after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is best I step down,” Jayawardene had stated in his resignation letter
Jayawardene, who remains the second-most successful coach in the IPL, is currently the global head of performance at Mumbai Indians and its franchises.