Mahela Jayawardene is set to join the England cricket team as a batting consultant and he is expected begin his stint as part of the England coaching staff when the team tours UAE for a Test and limited-overs series against Pakistan in October-November this year, according to an ESPNCricinfo report.
With the World T20 happening in India next year, England are hoping to benefit from the expertise of Jayawardene in Asian conditions. Apart from the multi-team T20 event and the trip to UAE, England are touring India and Bangladesh over the next 18 months, and Jayawardene being part of the coaching team would help the players adjust better to the Asian conditions.
England coach Trevor Bayliss and assistant coach Paul Farbrace, during their stint with the Sri Lankan team, formed a strong relationship with the stylish right-handed batsman, whose 18-year-old international career came to an end after the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Farbrace had been in talks with Jayawardene since July this year and managed to convince the former Sri Lankan captain, claims the report.
Mahela's role is expected to on a contract basis for a certain number of days, just like former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who had served as the spin-bowling consultant of the England team. Meanwhile, England are likely to retain Mark Ramprakash as the batting coach.
"We have had some initial conversations with Mahela Jayawardene around a possible short-term consultancy role at the start of the UAE tour - given his familiarity with conditions. Nothing has been agreed at this stage," an ECB spokesman said.
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