Mahela Jayawardene set to join Sri Lanka U-19 side as consultant

Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralidharan are some of the greats that Sri Lanka gave to world cricket. The 1996 World Champions, who once were deemed as one of the strongest teams in international cricket, a team that made it to consecutive World Cup finals in 2007 and 2015, is struggling to sustain.

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Sri Lanka has been on a steady slump over the last few years. Not only the performance of the players but their character is also in question after three players - Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella made mockery of the strict COVID-19 guidelines after they were seen roaming on the streets of Durham on England tour.

Also read: SL batting coach Grant Flower tests positive for COVID-19 - Sky247 Blog

It’s big time that Sri Lanka start grooming the young upcoming generation to revive their cricket. For the same, Mahela Jayawardene is set to join the Sri Lanka Under-19 team as a consultant. Jayawardene reportedly has informed the technical committee that he will be working without remuneration with the Under-19 team.

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According to Sri Lanka media firm Cricwire, Aravinda de Silva, head of the technical committee, has confirmed the appointment of Mahela Jayawardena. The former cricketer will be responsible for grooming the young cricketers and coaching staff. He will take charge after the second leg of IPL in UAE. Jayawardene is the head coach of defending champions Mumbai Indians.

The appointment of Mahela Jayawardene is a step in the right direction. The legendary batsman will prepare the Sri Lanka U-19 side for the U-19 Cricket World Cup next year in West Indies and the 2023 Men’s World Cup.

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