Sri Lanka appoint Ratnayake coach for Australia tour

Former pace bowler Rumesh Ratnayake has been appointed Sri Lanka's coach for the tour of Australia beginning next month.

"We have appointed Rumesh Ratnayake only for the Australian tour because there is hardly any time to look for another coach," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee chairman Upali Dharmadasa said.

The 47-year-old former new-ball bowler, who played 23 Tests and 70 one-day internationals from 1982-1993, has been working as a development officer with the Asian Cricket Council. Sri Lanka have been without a full-time coach since Trevor Bayliss quit after the World Cup in April, and his deputy Stuart Law was put in temporary charge.

Law was named the new Bangladesh coach last month, leading to another round of head-hunting ahead of the team's tour of Australia to play two Twenty20 matches, five one-day internationals and three Tests. Dharmadasa said SLC would appoint a full-time coach within the next three months.