COLOMBO: NSW assistant coach Chandika Hathurusingha should be leading Sri Lanka, argues the country's most decorated batsman Kumar Sangakkara.
While Cricket Australia steps up its post-Argus recruitment drive, in the hunt for a coach, general manager and national selector, Sri Lanka are also hiring. Former South Africa coach Graham Ford and Geoff Marsh are among their targets but Sangakkara says the most viable candidate is in Sydney.
''He has been a great loss to us,'' said the 33-year-old, who will begin his 100th Test in the series finale against Australia in Colombo today. ''He made an amazing contribution to our cricket. He is an extremely capable coach.''
Hathurusingha is not in the running for the job - he had been the Sri Lankan coach-in-waiting but fell out with the country's previous interim board before taking on the assistant's role with NSW.
Sangakkara's desire for a full-time home-grown coach is matched by a craving to finally taste a Test victory over Australia. In his 99 Tests leading into this milestone match, Sri Lanka have never won against the visitors. Their lone victory came at Kandy in 1999, a year before his debut.
The former captain is taking the century of Tests in his stride. ''It's just a privilege to have been a part of Sri Lankan cricket for so long and to play 100 Test matches,'' he said. ''[But] it doesn't matter if it's your first or your 100th, it's about trying to win.''
