Colombo, June 24 (newsin.asia) – The Head Coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, Graham Ford, on Saturday announced he would be stepping down from his post, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
The 56 year old South African, who was more popularly known as ‘Fordy’ was appointed as the Head Coach in February 2016.
Under him, Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0 in the recent Test series but failed to progress beyond the first round in the World T20 2016 and the recently concluded Champions Trophy.
President of Sri Lanka Cricket, Thilanga Sumathipala in a statement said that Ford had joined as the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Cricket team at a time when the team was quoted by the ICC as being on the ‘verge of suspension’ and at a time when things were volatile and uncertain.
“Ford had faith in us and has given us his fullest support,” Sumathipala said.
Sumathipala said the decision on Ford’s resignation was arrived at mutually after careful consideration and deliberation.
Ford said it had been a priviledge to work with the Sri Lanka Cricket team for the past 15 months.
ESPNcricinfo, in a report said Ford’s relationship with Sri Lanka Cricket is understood to have become imperiled due to what Ford believes were unacceptable intrusions into team matters by the Sri Lanka Cricket board.
The report further said among Ford’s grievances appeared to be the expanding powers of Asanka Gurusinha, who in February was appointed “cricket manager” – a position with a broadly defined range of duties, some of which Ford is understood to have felt infringed upon his freedom as a coach.
Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe in a home series starting June 30 with an ODI game in Galle, in southern Sri Lanka.
