Colombo, Dec 13 (Cricket News) Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will be the consultant coach of the national teams starting next year, the country's cricket board announced on Monday.

Jayawardene was appointed to the latest role by Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) executive committee in consultation with the technical advisory committee of the Board.

In his new role which is effective for a period of one year, Mumbai Indians coach Jayawardene will be in charge of the overall cricketing matters of the national teams and will provide strategic support to the players and management teams at the High-Performance Center.

"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 Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva.

"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 added.

Despite the new appointment, Jayawardene will continue in his role with the Under-19 team as it prepares for next year’s ICC U-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 Jayawardene.

"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.

He said his main role will be supporting the team of national coaches and support staff in terms of preparation and strategic thinking during the coming year. 

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News Source : PTI