SL manager Senanayake to be replaced for Bangladesh series

Charith Senanayake will be replaced as Sri Lanka's team manager for the upcoming Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka, but will stay on Sri Lanka Cricket's payroll until his contract expires on March 31, SLC president Upali Dharmadasa said. SLC have lined up tea industry executive Michael de Zoysa as the new manager, but de Zoysa is yet to officially accept the role.

"There are various reasons behind that decision, that we're not willing to discuss," Dharmadasa said. "But Charith has not been sacked, because he is still an employee of Sri Lanka Cricket. We will use him in whatever capacity we see fit during the Bangladesh series."

Senanayake ran afoul of SLC during Sri Lanka's recent tour of Australia, when he forwarded a letter from then-captain Mahela Jayawardene to the media, in which Jayawardene claimed he had "lost all confidence in SLC" as a result of a confidential document being leaked by the board. SLC then issued a statement claiming both Senanayake and Jayawardene had breached their contracts, and that their actions will be reviewed by the executive committee, but no official penalties were handed out.

"There was some speculation about this during the Australia tour when I sent Mahela's letter, but I had no idea that this was going to happen," Senanayake said. "I haven't had any official communication whatsoever about being replaced. Everything I know about it has been from the papers. I haven't been given a chance at all.

"There are also reports that I asked SLC for 'luxury' apartments for the players on tour, but that's not true. Cricket Australia suggested we use more spacious apartments in future, and I passed that on. In any case it's the home board that pays for that accommodation, so SLC isn't affected."

Senanayake was an opening batsman, and played three Tests and seven ODIs in the early 1990s. He was also head of SLC's marketing unit from 2008 to 2011. De Zoysa was set to run for the post of SLC secretary during the 2012 election, but was one of several candidates who withdrew from the contest, claiming corruption on the part of the people who were eventually elected unopposed.