Cricket: SLC appoint 6-member panel to select next national coach

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed a six-member panel to select the next coach, who will fill in the vacant position created outgoing national coach Mickey Arthur, informed sources said.

The panel, whose main task is to select a suitable candidate to fill in the position, now vacant, for the head coach of the national cricket team. 

So far, according to sources, over 30 have applied for the position and SLC's panel will prune down the list to six, before conducting interviews in order to pick the ideal candidate for the position. 

The panel will consist of two member from the Cricket Advisory Committee headed by Aravinda de Silva, the CEO of SLC -- Ashley de Silva, the Human Recourses Manager of SLC, Tom Moody -- SLC's Director of Cricket and Mahela Jayawardena, the Consultant Coach of the national team.

Calling in applications for the vacant position ended on December 14, and it is said that the position will be filled before Sri Lanka's next assignment against Zimbabwe, a three-match ODI series at home during January 2022. 

Sri Lanka will engage in a five-match T20 series against Australia away during February 2022, before touring India for a two-match Test series and a T20 series. 

Mickey Arthur, who joined Sri Lanka as head coach on a two-year contract, ended his tenure earlier this month and will take charge as Director of Cricket of the English county side, Derbyshire. 

Mahela Jayawardena, will enter a contract with SLC as Consultant Coach from January 1, 2022, but with his other commitments Sri Lanka's cricket board advertised in search for a head coach, to which over 30 candidates have applied. 

In addition to a majority of Sri Lankan coaches, SLC has received applications from number of Australians, Englishmen, South Africans and New Zealanders. 

Among the names enlisted are former South African cricketer Lance Klusener, West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh and former New Zealand cricketer Grant Bradburn.