SLC call Chandika Hathurusingha back from South Africa to discuss World Cup 2019 plans

The Sri Lankan cricket board (SLC) got into the planning mode for the World Cup 2019, as they have asked the head coach Chandika Hathurusingha to return from South Africa, where the islanders are currently playing the five-match ODI series. Sri Lanka created history earlier in the tour by winning both the Test matches against South Africa and became the first Asian side to win the series in whites in the rainbow nation.

However, the five-match ODI series has not gone the way they would have liked, as they have lost the first four matches to the home side and with it the series as well. The visitors will be hoping to make amends and win the dead rubber ahead of the T20Is now.

Hathurusingha returns home

In the aftermath of the ODI series loss, the Sri Lankan cricket board now wants Chandika Hathurusingha to come back and fielding coach Steve Rixon will take charge of the team for the subsequent T20 series. “Hathurusingha has been asked to return from South Africa after the final ODI. Steve Rixon will take charge for the T20 series,” Shammi Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket President was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Hathurusingha will leave for Sri Lanka after the fifth and final ODI game at Cape Town to be played on March 16, while Rixon will take over for the 3-match T20I series, which is scheduled from March 19 and 24. Silva apparently made it clear that the head coach will be asked about his plans for the Sri Lankan team going into the ICC World Cup 2019.

Tough times for Sri Lanka in limited-overs format

Sri Lanka has not tasted much success in the limited overs format under Chandika Hathurusingha, who became the head coach in 2017, after his brilliant stint with the Bangladesh team. Things have not gone well for the Lankan team as they have slipped down the ICC rankings rapidly.

Sri Lanka is at the eighth position in ICC ODI team rankings and ninth in the T20I rankings. This dip in rankings has also caused them to lose out on automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2020 to be played in Australia.

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