COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has appointed former opening batsman Chandika Hathurusingha as head coach, the country’s cricket board said on Friday. Hathurusingha, 49, resigned as Bangladesh coach in October after guiding the national team to test victories over England and Australia during his three years in charge. He will take over the Sri Lankan side on Dec. 20, when they face India in first of three Twenty20 internationals. “Sri Lanka Cricket today announced that subsequent to successful discussions, and upon the unanimous approval of the Executive Committee on 6th December 2017, Chandika Hathurusingha will be appointed as the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka National Team, and will assume duties from the 20th December 2017,” the board said in a statement. Hathurusingha played 26 Tests for Sri Lanka between 1991-99 and scored 1,274 runs at an average of 29.62. He became head coach of the Sri Lanka A side in 2006 before being appointed as the national team assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss in 2009. Published in Daily Times, December 9th 2017.