Hathurusingha appointed A team coach for Namibian tour

Chandika Hathurusingha, a former Sri Lanka all-rounder still playing first-class cricket for Moors Sports Club, has been appointed as Sri Lanka's new A team coach after a management debacle that has seen Roshan Mahanama resign as head coach.

Hathurusingha, 33, who is a highly qualified and experienced coach, will take over the reigns with immediate effect, training the A squad for a tour to Namibia in April where they will participate in a six nation one-day tournament with Namibia, Kenya, Holland, Zimbabwe A and Canada.

Graeme Labrooy, 36, a former Sri Lanka fast bowler, has also been appointed as team manager, a position he nearly took up before the Kenya tour of Sri Lanka in February.

Both Hathurusingha and Labrooy have been employed for the tour only, although a longer contract cannot be ruled out with India A expected to tour Sri Lanka in May and June. This though will depend on whether Hathurusingha secures a playing contract in the UK.

The sudden change in the A team management comes after a contractual muddle between former A team coach Hemantha Devpriya and his replacement Mahanama that left both men occupying the same job.

Devpriya had been replaced by the interim committee of the BCCSL late last year and had been asked to take over the Under 17 squad. But Devpriya, still contracted with the BCCSL, proved reluctant to except such a drastic demotion.

The interim committee failed to take action, with the result being a fudged compromise, with Devpriya the designated coach and Mahanama the manager-cum-coach during the Kenya tour. Mahanama was uncomfortable with the arrangement, despite the Kenya tour passing smoothly.

After the tour, Mahanama raised his concerns and then resigned. The BCCSL, in an exasperated media release, maintained that they had resolved the issue, with Devpriya taking over the management of the Development squad, but Mahanama still refused to withdraw his resignation, for reasons that remain unclear, although his close relationship with Devpriya, who both schooled at Nalanda College, was reportedly a factor.

The Sri Lanka A squad for Namibia, which is currently with the sports minister awaiting clearance, will be announced shortly. The team departs in early April with the tournament running from 7-14 April.