Chris Silverwood resigns as head coach amid Sri Lanka Cricket chaos

Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood resigned from his position on Thursday after the island nation failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka’s failure in the T20 World Cup has created an upheaval in the country with consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene also resigning from his post recently.

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Silverwood said he is resigning in order to spend more time with his family.

The 49-year-old Englishman took charge of Sri Lanka in 2022 following his stint as England head coach and guided them to the T20 Asia Cup title and the final of the 50-overs Asia Cup the following year.

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However, they had a disappointing run in the 50-overs World Cup in India last year, finishing ninth of 10 teams after seven defeats in nine matches.

“Being an international coach means long periods away from loved ones. After lengthy conversations with my family and with a heavy heart, I feel it is now time for me to return home and spend some quality time together,” Silverwood said. “It has been a real honour for me to be part of Sri Lanka Cricket and I’ll be taking away many fond memories.”

Jayawardene resigned on Wednesday saying that lack of support from Sri Lanka Cricket was behind his decision.

“It has become apparent to me that current decision-making is no longer fully aligned with the direction we were taking in some of these areas, and after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is best I step down,” Jayawardene said in his resignation letter as per ESPNcricinfo.

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Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka team is also facing allegations of being late for a practice session during the T20 World Cup 2024 due to their late night out trip.

The allegations have been made by former Sri Lanka sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe.

In defence of the team, current sports minister Harin Fernando asked the detractors to prove the alleged night club outing resulted in Sri Lanka’s early exit from T20 World Cup.

“I challenged them (critics) to prove it, and I will resign if they can prove it,” Fernando said recently.