Rumesh Ratnayake named Sri Lanka coach for Aussie tour

Colombo: Former pacer Rumesh Ratnayake was today named Sri Lanka’s cricket coach for the home series against Australia starting 6 August. [caption id=“attachment_41958” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Sri Lankan cricket team will have a new coach in Rumesh Ratnayake for the home series against Australia. Philip Brown/Reuters”] [/caption] Sri Lanka Cricket chief Upali Dharmadasa said Ratnayake, who played 23 Tests for Sri Lanka between 1983 and 1992, will over from Australian Stuart Law — the assistant coach to Trevor Bayliss who departed after Sri Lanka’s loss in the World Cup final to India. Law guided the team in the tour of England that concluded this week. Dharmadasa said Ratnayake’s appointment was only limited to the series against Australia which comprises three Tests,  five One-dayers and a Twenty20 international starting next month. The 47-year-old Ratnayake took 73 Test wickets with his left-arm slinging action.  In the 70 ODIs he played, Ratnayake picked up 76 wickets. PTI