Mahela Jayawardene and Sri Lanka selectors resign

Jayawardene quit as Sri Lanka captain in March 2009

Sri Lanka vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and the country's four selectors have resigned following the World Cup final defeat by India.

They follow Kumar Sangakkara, who quit as one-day and Twenty20 captain on Tuesday but remains as Test captain.

Ex-captain Jayawardene said the time was right to "move on".

The selectors, headed by former national skipper Aravinda de Silva, handed their resignations to Sri Lanka's sports minister on Wednesday.

The quartet's term was due to end at the end of the month but De Silva, alongside Ranjith Fernando, Amal Silva and Azwer Ali chose to leave early in the wake of the six-wicket defeat by India in Mumbai on Saturday.

"While, like everyone else associated with Sri Lanka Cricket we are also enormously disappointed at our not being able to annex the coveted World Cup, which was lost to India in a highly competitive final, we are very happy that we have been able to meet most of our objectives in a short space of time," the selectors wrote in an open letter to sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

"In view of the fact that some major cricketing decisions have to be taken for the future of Sri Lanka cricket due to important assignments in the coming months, we would like to offer to step down immediately from the jobs of national selectors."

Former captain Jayawardene stepped down as skipper in March 2009 following Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan, which was abandoned when the tourists' team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore on 3 March.

The 33-year-old became only the sixth player in World Cup history to score a hundred in the final, but was the first player to hit three figures and finish on the losing side.

"I think it's time to move on, give the reins to someone younger in the team," said elegant right-handed batsman Jayawardene, who has scored 9,527 runs in 116 Tests and 9,423 in 341 one-day internationals in an illustrious career.

Sangakkara said his decision to resign as captain was made prior to the start of the World Cup to make way for a younger leader.

However, the left-hander will remain as interim Test captain for their tour of England, which begins in May and lasts until July.

All-rounders Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan are among the leading contenders to replace Sangakkara.