Sad news for Sri Lanka!!! Chris Silverwood, Sri Lanka’s cricket coach, has resigned. Silverwood has been servicing SL since April 2022. He renewed his contract in April till the end of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Now Sri Lanka’s cricket board has officially announced his resignation, “Being an international coach often entails extended separations from loved ones,” Silverwood stated in a statement published by SLC.
“Following deep discussions with my family and with a sense of melancholy, I believe it’s now the right moment for me to return home and prioritize spending valuable time together.”
Silverwood wishes good luck to SLC’s players and administration. He said he’d be “taking away many fond memories” from his time in SL.
Players Developed Under Silverwood’s Guidance
“It has been a genuine honor for me to have been a part of Sri Lanka Cricket, and I will always cherish the countless fond memories,” Silverwood told reporters.
Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Matheesha Pathirana, and Nuwan Thushara have all risen to prominence under Silverwood, a former fast bowler himself. During his tenure, Sri Lanka also won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022 and advanced to the final of the ODI Asia Cup in 2023.
Former England coach Silverwood was appointed in April 2022, initially on a two-year contract that was extended to cover this month’s World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. Sri Lanka failed to advance beyond the group stage, winning just one of their four games.
Chris Silverwood, Sri Lanka’s head coach, stood down on Thursday following the team’s poor performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup, according to the SLC. Mahela Jayawardene, the former captain, resigned as the consulting coach on Wednesday.
“Being an international coach involves spending extended periods of time away from family and friends. After lengthy discussions with my family and with a sad heart, I believe it is time for me to return home and spend some quality time with them,” Silverwood stated in his statement.
Sri Lanka’s Recent World Cup Failures
Sri Lanka has had two catastrophic World Cup campaigns over this time, however. They finished tenth in last year’s ODI World Cup, failing to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
During Silverwood’s tenure, Lanka won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022 and made it to the final of the 50-over Asia Cup last year, but were upset by India. SLC’s CEO stated that the board would advertise the head coach position and “also be doing some head-hunting”.
The SLC has already begun the search for a new head coach ahead of the team’s next international match against India in a white ball series next month. The team’s next significant fixture is the Tests in England, which begin on August 21.
Who Will The Next Sri Lanks’s Cricket Coach?
In all honesty, Sri Lanka has several ordinary players who have performed poorly in ICC matches. Perhaps this is why the country requires a coach like Gautam Gambhir or Ravi Shastri.
Regardless of what happens in the World Cup that’s to come Gautam Gambhir appears to be the most likely candidate to become the next Indian coach, but persuading a great coach like Ravi Shastri will be challenging.
However, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva continues to talk about the team’s financial status whenever they lose like they did in the World Cup, so perhaps it’s time they flex their muscle and get a coach who has played cricket.