Jayasuriya named Sri Lanka coach for England series

Sanath Jayasuriya hit 42 centuries and took 440 wickets as a player for Sri Lanka

Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed Sri Lanka's interim men's head coach after Chris Silverwood resigned in June.

Silverwood, 49, stepped down after the team's early group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup.

Former Sri Lanka captain Jayasuriya, 55, will coach the team on their three-Test tour of England in August and September.

That is as far as the arrangement extends for now.

"I have been asked to take over coaching and I am happy to do it," Jayasuriya told AFP.

This is Jayasuriya's first high-profile coaching role, having previously been a national selector for Sri Lanka. He has been serving as a cricket consultant for the team.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said: "Sanath, with his wealth of international cricketing experience, is well positioned to guide the national team until we find a permanent solution."

As a player, all-rounder Jayasuriya represented Sri Lanka 586 times, competing internationally for the last time in 2011.