Colombo: A day after announcing his decision to quit captaincy, Sanath Jayasuriya on Friday formally tendered his resignation to the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) chief Anura Tennekoon.
Tennekoon said he had informed the selection committee chairman about the resignation letter he received from Jayasuriya and the national selectors would take the final decision on the matter next week. "He handed over a letter to me this morning and I have informed the chairman of selectors," said Tennekoon. "The selectors will have to make the decision as to whether to accept his resignation," Tennekoon was quoted as saying on the cricinfo website. With two selectors currently out of the country, the five-man panel is expected to discuss the captaincy issue after the Sinhalese New Year next week. The committee, headed by former Sri Lanka leg spinner Lalith Kaluperuma, will have to decide first whether to accept Jayasuriya's resignation and then who should take over. Though Jayasuriya had expressed his intention to step down from the post soon after the World Cup, he was persuaded by the country's Sports Minister to stay till the completion of the four-nation Sharjah Cup. Sri Lanka carried its indifferent World Cup form into the Sharjah Cup where it could not make it to the final. "I was asked to continue for Sharjah. Now they will have to find someone else to do the job," Jayasuriya said. "I have made my decision and I will continue as a player." The 33-year-old Jayasuriya was appointed skipper during the 1999 World Cup after incumbent Arjuna Ranatunga was sacked. He has led Sri Lanka to 18 victories in 38 Tests while he has 66 One-day wins in 116 One-day Internationals. According to sources, Jayasuriya's deputy Marvan Atapattu is being considered as the front-runner for the job though off spinner Muthiah Muralitharan said he would take on the mantle of captaincy if he is asked to do so. Muralitharan said though he was not in the running for the post vacated by Jayasuriya, he would not be averse to leading the side if no one else was interested in the job. "I am not interested in it. If nobody else takes it, then I have no problem in becoming the captain. But I do not think I will be asked to take over the captaincy," the spin wizard said.
E-mail
To the Editor
Print
