Paul Farbrace, the recently appointed Sri Lanka cricket coach, is tipped to be appointed as assistant to Peter Moores, who has been appointed as new head coach of England team for five years by England and Wales Cricket Board, foreign media reported today.

Moores was named England’s head coach at Lord’s on Saturday morning, five years and three months since he left the job in January 2009 when he was sacked alongside Kevin Pietersen, while Paul Farbrace, the coach of Sri Lanka, is expected to be named as his assistant.

Andy Flower’s replacement was announced by Paul Downton, managing director of England cricket, at Lord’s today.

Current Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace is expected to link up with Moores and England as a ‘‘senior assistant’’ imminently, but Downton would not confirm the 46-year-old as the man in the frame.

He added: ‘‘We are in advanced negotiations to appoint an assistant coach but, at this stage, with due respect to his current employers, we’re not going to make an announcement on that. I hope we will be able to do so soon.

‘‘Having tried the system where we split the roles - and everybody involved didn’t think that worked - a senior assistant seemed to be the best way forward.

‘‘Peter’s spoken to the individual involved and we’re very comfortable that if we can make that appointment it will work.’’

SLC surprised by ECB move

However, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says that Fabrace has not communicated to them his intentions on the matter and that their efforts to contact the Sri Lanka national coach have proved futile.

“Unfortunately, Paul Farbrace has not been in communication with SLC on this subject matter at this point of time. Efforts to contact Paul Farbrace, who is currently in England have proved futile,” SLC said in a statement today, in response to numerous inquiries in relation to England and Wales Cricket Board’s interest in recruiting Paul Farbrace.

 However, the ECB has communicated to the SLC their interest in considering Paul Farbrace to be recruited as one of their coaches.

“SLC have in no uncertain terms expressed it’s surprise and disappointment with regard to this development since Paul is in contract with SLC for a two year term (which includes a six month probation period) ending in December 2015 and particularly because the Sri Lanka national team will be visiting England within the next few weeks.”

“SLC is currently in communication with ECB, but however have informed them that we cannot progress this matter further until Paul Farbrace establishes a dialogue with SLC since our contractual obligations are with the individual.”

“SLC will be closely monitoring the progress of this matter and further developments on this matter will be communicated to the press in due course,” the statement said.

The Daily Telegraph further reports that Farbrace’s appointment “moved very quickly this week once he was certain he was ready to give up his role with Sri Lanka.”

“He met (Paul) Downton on Thursday and extricated himself from his two-year deal with Sri Lanka Cricket quicker than expected,” the report said.

Farbrace, who only become Sri Lanka’s national coach in December when the incumbent Graham Ford left the job, is widely respected in the county game after stints coaching at Yorkshire and Kent.

He was assistant coach to Bayliss, the 51-year-old Australian who was also in the frame to replace Flower, when the pair worked for Sri Lanka and survived the terrorist attack on the team bus in 2009.

Moores was originally appointed the last time England were reeling from a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia, in early 2007, but did not have the chance to experience an Ashes series himself, with Andy Flower, who had been his batting coach, stepping up to succeed him in 2009 for the first of three consecutive series wins.

Now the 51-year-old is to succeed Flower in partnership with Farbrace, who like Moores was a low-profile county wicketkeeper – in his case with Kent – but comes with the lustre of having led Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 titles in Bangladesh this month.

After a 5-0 Ashes series loss under Flower, England were then beaten by Australia in ODI and T20 cricket before suffering a group-stage exit at the World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh, a campaign which ended with a humiliating defeat to the Netherlands.  

England’s first game under Moores will be a one-day international against Scotland on May 9. They then play Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 international on May 20 which is followed by an ODI series against the same opponents.  

Moores’ first Test will be against the Sri Lankans, starting on June 12.