Kariyapperuma to continue as manager for Bangladesh tour

Tuesday, 11 May 2021 02:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SL to play bilateral ODI series in Bangladesh after seven years

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has extended the term of Manuja Kariyapperuma and appointed him as manager of the Sri Lanka team for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

Manuja Kariyapperuma

Kariyapperuma, who is the consultant in charge of Sri Lanka women’s cricket international and domestic operations and development, was appointed as the Interim Manager for the two-Test series against Bangladesh at home last month, and following a successful stint, has been requested to accompany the national team as its manager to Bangladesh.

Since the resignation of Ashantha de Mel as Manager at the end of the home series against England in January, SLC has advertised for the post of a permanent manager. Until such time the suitable candidate is picked, SLC has been appointing managers on the interim.

Jerome Jayaratne, Head of the High Performance Centre – Khettarama went as manager on Sri Lanka’s tour to the West Indies early this year, after which Kariyapperuma was appointed for the home series against Bangladesh.

The 18-member Sri Lanka team picked for the tour moved into a bio-bubble at Taj Hotel yesterday after the players, support staff and officials underwent a PCR test and all of them returned negative results.

The team will commence practices at the R. Premadasa Stadium from today. They are due to leave for Bangladesh on 16 May.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series (day/night) in Dhaka commencing on 23 May. Bangladesh won the last ODI series played at home whitewashing the West Indies 3-0 in January, but were subsequently beaten by the same margin in New Zealand two months later.

Sri Lanka has not played Bangladesh in a bilateral ODI series in Bangladesh since February 2014. On that occasion Sri Lanka swept the three-match series 3-0.

The overall tally stands at 39 wins to Sri Lanka, seven to Bangladesh and two no-results out of the 48 ODIs played so far between the two nations.