Senanayake lands Sri Lanka post

Former batsman Charith Senanayake has been named as Sri Lanka's team manager for the series with India following the controversial dismissal of Hashan Tillakaratne.

The appointment of Senanayake, who played three Tests and seven one-day internationals for Sri Lanka in the 1980s, was confirmed by the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket on Tuesday.

The committee had to find a replacement when Tillakaratne was removed from the role only 24 hours after being named.

He had been installed as the successor to Shriyan Samararatne, whose contract expired following the Asia Cup, last Tuesday, but the 41-year-old departed after intervention from Sri Lanka sports minister Gamini Lokuge.

Lokuge said his major concern was that Tillakaratne's appointment as manager for the Test and one-day series with India was made without the approval of the executive committee of the Interim Committee, which is the governing body of cricket in Sri Lanka.

The first Test of three Tests against India begins in Colombo tomorrow.