Arjuna Ranatunga will head a panel that will make recommendations on the appointment of a new national coach
Charlie Austin22-May-2005
Arjuna Ranatunga: at the head of a distinguished panel © Getty Images
Sri Lanka’s cricket board has confirmed the appointment of Arjuna Rantungaas the head of a high-profile committee that will makerecommendations on the appointment of a new national coach and reviewcricket development policies in the island.The nine-member panel includes seven ex-captains – Ranjan Madugalle, DuleepMendis, Bandula Warnapura, Roshan Mahanama, Michael Tissera, Anura Tennekoon- as well as former Test opener Sidath Wettimuny and fast bowler GraemeLabrooy, the head of Sri Lanka’s unofficial players’ association.The only notable absentees from the committee were Aravinda de Silva andHashan Tillakaratne, both of whom were very closely aligned with theprevious executive committee that was thrown out of office by the governmentafter allegations of financial mismanagement.The new cricket committee is expected to make recommendations on theprobable appointment of Tom Moody as John Dyson’s replacement as nationalteam coach, which is due to be finalised next week after an interview inColombo.Moody is the clear frontrunner for the post after India’s recruitment ofGreg Chappell but the board revealed on Saturday that they were also talkingto Ray Jennings, who was sacked last week as South African coach despite a5-0 series whitewash of West Indies.Ranatunga’s cricket committee will then turn its attention to cricketdevelopment issues and a review of the current domestic structure of thegame in the island, which Ranatunga has long-maintained needs to beradically overhauled to safeguard Sri Lanka’s future as an internationalforce.