Chris Silverwood has stepped down as the head coach of Sri Lanka's men's cricket team after a two-year tenure.
Silverwood, formerly the coach of England, took up the role in April 2022 on an initial two-year contract, which was extended to include the World Cup in the West Indies and USA this month. However, Sri Lanka's performance in the World Cup was disappointing, with the team winning only one out of four games and failing to progress beyond the group stage.
Reflecting on his decision, Silverwood stated that being an international coach involves long periods away from family. He mentioned that after extensive discussions with his family, he felt it was the right time to return home and spend quality time with them. He described his time with Sri Lanka Cricket as a "real honour."
Silverwood assumed the position three months after being dismissed by England following their defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup in 2022 and finished as runners-up the following year. However, the team did not make it to the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup in 2022 and placed ninth in the group stage of the 50-over World Cup last year.
During his tenure, Sri Lanka played eight Test series, winning four, drawing two, and losing two. The team is scheduled to play three Tests in England, starting on August 21.