For many years, Sri Lanka cricket was one of the best in the world. However, things have not been looking up for a team that dominated the world in a game that is one of the most-watched around the world. For the last four years, the story about cricket management in the country has remained the same. From predictable outcomes of losing every tournament to alleged interference by the political class, it is said that legends of the sport had long given up in their quest to revive the sport.  Meanwhile, punters can take advantage of this Casino welcome offer to place a wager on their favourite sportsbook.

Cricket Legend, Muttiah Muralitharan, a man known to be soft-spoken, once lost his cool in an interview when asked about the state of Sri Lanka cricket.  Despite winning T20 in 2014, he said the sport is in a big mess. Muttiah went ahead to blame politicians for their interference in the sport, citing their lack of knowledge about cricket as a major contributor to the current state of affairs. But is the Sacked Coach to blame for the state of cricket? Well, pundits of the sport have a different opinion. The sport has been struggling for some years, and it was evident the coach would soon lose his job, even if he is not part of the mess.

Sacked Coach sues for compensation

When Chandika Hathurusingha and his staff were shown the door, it was obvious a legal battle was brewing.  In his suit, the sacked coach is demanding for a whopping $5 million as compensation. He argues that his contract was prematurely terminated, something that infringes his employment rights.  It should be remembered that Chandika Hathurusingha is a former Test Star that played for the national cricket team. When he was appointed as the head coach, many Sri Lankans had hoped he would bring good tidings to the country’s most popular sport.

In the suit, Chandika Hathurusingha is also seeking full payment of 18-month salary, a figure that is close to $1 million. Further, he argues that the sacking has soiled his international reputation as a batman who brought many good tidings to the country during his active years as a sportsman. 

Disappointing WorldCup and a difficult cricket board

Following the sacking of Chandika Hathurusingha, the national cricket board argued the coach was owed $60, 000, a figure he disputed amidst accusations of political interference and a poor show in Cricket World Cup.  After the team finished sixth, hell broke loose. The coach and his entire staff were shown the door. In his defence, the country’s sports minister argued that a foreign coach would have delivered better results than ‘overpaid Chandika Hathurusingha.’

Important changes 

After sacking Chandika Hathurusingha, there have been efforts aimed at revamping the national cricket team. While England may cancel cricket trip to Sri Lanka, important changes have taken place following the appointment of Mickey Arthur from South Africa as the head coach. Others who have been appointed to cricket management positions are David Saker from Australia as bowling coach, and Grant Flower from Zimbabwe as the batting coach.