Mahela Jayawardene to join Sri Lanka as consultant for T20 World Cup

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will join the Sri Lanka team as a consultant for the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka will have to go through a qualifying round to make it to the Super 12s. They are placed alongside Ireland, Namibia, and the Netherlands in Group A. They'll need to claim one of the top two spots to progress to Super 12s. Jayawardene will give his services to the team for just seven days, during the qualification round, from October 16-23. Additionally, the veteran has been also roped in as a consultant for the Under-19 team in the build-up to the Under-19 World Cup in West Indies.

“We are very happy to welcome Mahela into his new roles, as his presence with the Sri Lanka Team and the U19 Team is going to help the players immensely.”

“From his playing days, Mahela was respected for the vast cricketing knowledge he brought into the game, first as a player, then as a Captain, now as a Coach for different teams,” said Sri Lanka Cricket Board CEO Ashley De Silva.

The former Sri Lanka skipper has been part of the coaching setup of several franchises. He’s the head coach of Mumbai Indians and led them to three IPL titles. He also led Southern Braves to glory in the inaugural edition of the Hundred. Jayawardene’s appointment was made after the recommendation of the SLC’s technical advisory committee.

“We are very happy to welcome Mahela into his new roles, as his presence with the Sri Lanka team and the Under-19 team is going to help the players immensely,” Ashley De Silva, the SLC CEO, said in the statement. “From his playing days, Mahela was respected for the vast cricketing knowledge he brought into the game, first as a player, then as a captain, now as a coach for different teams.”

Mahela is one of the greatest cricketers of the modern era. The 44-year old has over 25000 international runs. He took Sri Lanka to the finals of three ICC events - 50 over World Cup in 2007 and 2011 and World T20 in 2012.