Sri Lanka Cricket today announced the appointment of former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena as the ‘Consultant Coach’ for the National Teams, effective 1st January 2022.

Jayawardena, in his new role, which is effective for a period of one year, will be in charge of the overall cricketing element of the national teams and will provide invaluable strategic support for the players and management teams at the High-Performance Center, the SLC said.

“We are extremely happy that Mahela is joining the National Team for an extended role, especially given the context that Sri Lanka has a heavy international calendar during the year 2022,” said Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket.

“Mahela’s contributions during the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup became invaluable for the overall performances of our team in the concluded event,” De Silva further added.

The SLC said that despite the new appointment, Jayawardena will continue to perform in his role with the Under-19 team, as it prepares for next year’s ICC under-19 World Cup to be held in West Indies.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with the national cricketers and coaches in our various development squads, including the U19 and A Team teams, to help us do justice to the enormous cricketing talent and potential in Sri Lanka,” said Mahela Jayawardena.

“I am very passionate about Sri Lankan cricket and believe that with a coordinated and focused team effort, taking a holistic approach working across all age groups, we can achieve consistent success in the future,” he added.

“My main role will be supporting our team of national coaches and support staff in terms of our preparation and strategic-thinking during the coming year.”

The SLC said the former skipper was appointed to the latest role by Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee in consultation with the Technical Advisory Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket.