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Sri Lankan shadow coach suspended

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has suspended the national cricket team's shadow coach Chandika Hathurusingha on disciplinary grounds

Sa'adi Thawfeeq
08-Jun-2010
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has suspended the national cricket team's shadow coach Chandika Hathurusingha on disciplinary grounds.
Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chairman DS de Silva told Cricinfo that the decision to suspend Hathurusingha was taken after he had disobeyed orders to not abandon the team and return home ahead of the one-day tri-series final where Sri Lanka is meeting Zimbabwe at Harare on Wednesday.
"Hathurusingha is expected to follow an advanced Level 3 coaching in Australia from June 13, and he had wanted to come home early to be with his family before heading for Australia," de Silva said. "He had conveyed this decision soon after the first-round match against India. But I advised him that he can return home only if Sri Lanka fails to qualify for the final not otherwise. Despite me giving him clear instructions to be with the team for the final he returned home on Saturday.
"Hathurusingha's action is a clear breach of discipline and we have taken the decision to suspend him until an inquiry is held. He will be given the chance to explain his conduct before we decide on further action."
de Silva also revealed that Sri Lanka Cricket was bearing all the costs pertaining to the coaching course and the airfare and had even offered Hathurusingha the option of flying straight from Zimbabwe to Australia if he thought he cannot make it in time for the five-day coaching course. He said Hathurusingha's trip to Australia for the time being has been put on hold till the outcome of the inquiry.
According to de Silva the former Sri Lanka Test opener was being groomed for the assistant coach's position in the national team when he was appointed shadow coach last year as understudy to head coach Trevor Bayliss and assistant coach Stuart Law.