Bipin Dani
Sri Lanka’s head coach Mickey Arthur favours the Test series having minimum three Test matches. Answering to this reporter’s question at the virtual media conference on Monday, he said, “Personally I favour a Test series of at least three Tests. However, it is up to the two boards to decide. Maybe because of the hectic season ahead it would not have been possible”.
Sri Lanka lost both the Test matches against England. On the West Indies tour next month also, Sri Lanka will p,ay Two Tests (and three ODIs’ and three T-20Is).
One week break
Members of the losing Sri Lankan team left Galle on Monday, a day before the scheduled last day of the Test, it is learnt here.
Players are given a one week break and then will start training in Colombo in groups, it is learnt here.
New manager
Former Sri Lankan First Class cricketer Jerome Jayaratne will replace Ashantha de Mel as manager of the visiting Sri Lankan team on the West Indies tour.
The current team manager and the chief selector Ashantha de Mel who was a stop-gap arrangement has decided to seek a break. He will, however, continue to be the chairman of the selection committee.
Jerome Jayaratne, who played 22 First Class matches as a seam bowler all-rounder is currently heading the High-Performance Centre. Besides it, Jerome, who will turn 55 next week, is also a qualified coach. He had already managed the team on overseas tours in the past.
Male doctor
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will also send Dr. KAP Kiriella with the team as a sports physician. He travelled with the team on the last South Africa tour.
Dr. Daminda Attanayake, who has also been with the national team and travelled to South Africa will look after the women’s team during the qualifying round matches for the ICC women’s world cup, it is understood.
PCR tests
Sri Lanka’s national players engaged for the last Test match against England gave their final PCR tests on Saturday and all results are negative. This was the last PCR test before all players dispersed after the end of the Test on Monday.
