Atapattu: Sri Lankan coach quits after test series loss to India

Sri Lankan head coach Marvan Atapattu has resigned from his position following the defeat against India in the recently concluded Test series by 2-1.

Atapattu took over the team as its coach in September past year after Englishman Paul Farbrace abruptly quit months earlier to become deputy coach of England.

Sri Lanka claimed their first Test series victory in England in May/June 2014 under the tutelage of Atapattu.

Marvan Atapattu (left) with Angelo Mathews. The only other time Sri Lanka lost two home series in a calendar year was back in 1993. He has departed of his own volition, but did so after Sri Lanka failed to win a single series this year. Atapattu was also not immediately available for comment.

Sources have said that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is likely to approach former Sri Lanka cricketer Chandika Hathurusinghe for the post. Sri Lanka were defeated in four Tests out of six since June, losing to Pakistan and India.

Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement that it accepted Atapattu’s resignation.

With the team going through a transition phase after the retirements of stalwarts like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – the two former captains have more than 50,000 runs in Tests and one-dayers between them – the Lankans failed to deliver at home. He has 90 Test matches and Test 5502 runs to his name.

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