Jayasuriya named Sri Lanka coach for England series

Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed Sri Lanka's interim men's head coach after Chris Silverwood resigned in June.

Silverwood, 49, stepped down after the team's early group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup.

Former Sri Lanka captain Jayasuriya, 55, will coach the team on their three-Test tour of England in August and September.

That is as far as the arrangement extends for now.

"I have been asked to take over coaching and I am happy to do it," Jayasuriya told AFP.

This is Jayasuriya's first high-profile coaching role, having previously been a national selector for Sri Lanka. He has been serving as a cricket consultant for the team.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said: "Sanath, with his wealth of international cricketing experience, is well positioned to guide the national team until we find a permanent solution."

As a player, all-rounder Jayasuriya represented Sri Lanka 586 times, competing internationally for the last time in 2011.