Sri Lanka has refused to accept the resignation letter of spin bowling coach Piyal Wijetung creating an stumbling block for him to take up the similar role in Bangladesh, said a report on Saturday. Piyal and Ruwan Kalpage are supposed to join Tigers before the West Indies tour as their spin bowling and fielding coach respectively on the basis of their recent appointments by BCB.
Both Kalpage and Wijetunge sent resignation letters to the Sri Lankan board earlier this week, but while Kalpage’s one has been accepted, the executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket gave Wijetunge a counter-offer.
‘The ExCo and Wijetunge had a discussion, and he took a decision to withdraw his resignation,’ Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva told leading cricket website Cricinfo. ‘The negotiations had something to do with a better offer too.’
BCB director Jalal Yunus told the website that Bangladesh will now have to look for other options to find a suitable candidate for the role of spin coach.
‘He [Wijetunge] had signed an agreement with us but we are now aware that he has been convinced to stay back in Sri Lanka,’ Yunus told the website. ‘So it is certain that he won’t be coming to Bangladesh.’
Kalpage who has been involved with the national team in some coaching capacity for over ten years, decided to seek new opportunity after the Sri Lankan chose to advertise the fielding coach job as part of a coaching shake-up
Accepting the resignation of Kalpage Ashley de Silva said, ‘He has informed us about his new venture but did not clarify in details. Well, we have acknowledged his resignation.’
Yunus informed the media that Kalpage is expected to join Bangladesh cricket team in the next two or three days to accompany Tigers in the West Indies tour though Sri Lanka Cricket CEO said that Kalpage would not finish with Sri Lanka until the end of the Pakistan tour.
Kalpage would be the fourth new support staff member of Bangladesh cricket team with three others, namely head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, bowling coach Heath Streak and trainer Mario Villavarayan, already joined the team.
The recently appointed members have replaced Shane Jurgensen, Corey Richards and David Dwyer who resigned before the India series in June.
-With New Age input
