Chris Silverwood was sacked as England head coach following the Ashes’ 4–0 loss to Australia; the 47-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Sri Lanka, who face Bangladesh in a two-Test series next month
Chris Silverwood has taken over Sri Lanka
Former England head coach Chris Silverwood has been appointed head coach of Sri Lanka on a two-year deal.
Sri Lanka has been without a full-time head coach since Mickey Arthur stepped down late last year.
“I am very excited to be on board with Sri Lanka and can’t wait to get to Colombo and get started,” said Silverwood.
“They have a talented and passionate group of players and I am looking forward to meeting with the players and coaching staff very soon.”
Silverwood was sacked by England in February after losing the Ashes series in Australia 4-0. He previously worked as England bowling coach under Trevor Bayliss before succeeding him as men’s coach in October 2019.
The man from Yorkshire, who played six Tests and seven ODIs for England, had previously guided Essex first to promotion to County Championship Division One and then to the title.
But he was unable to replicate that success with England and his exit came after a year in which his side lost nine of their 15 Tests, including defeats in the series to India and at home to New Zealand.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought unexpected challenges, but his reign was associated with batting collapses and a consistent failure to deliver big runs in the first inning.
Despite those disappointments, Silverwood was able to convince Sri Lanka that he was the right man to replace Mickey Arthur, who left the Lions in November to become Derbyshire’s chief of cricket.
Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Officer Ashley De Silva said: “We are delighted to appoint Chris as the new head coach of the national team.
“He is an extremely experienced manager and from our conversations with him in the hiring process, it is clear that he has the required qualities that we are looking for to take the team forward.”
Silverwood’s first assignment with Sri Lanka will be a two-Test series in Bangladesh next month.
