Ashantha de Mel resigns as Sri Lanka chief selector

The decision comes following the successive Test series defeats to South Africa and England

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Sri Lanka are looking for a new chief selector and team manager after the departure of Ashantha de Mel.

The decision comes after the back-to-back series defeats to South Africa and England, both of which finished 2-0.

De Mel, who represented his country 74 times, stepped down as team manager last week and insisted he delayed his departure as selector until after the second Test against England at Galle.

He told ESPNcricinfo: "I was planning to resign from both anyway, so I was waiting for the second Test [against England] to be over.

"With the manager's role, they needed the next manager to get visas ready for an upcoming tour. So I announced that earlier. I feel now it's time for me to move on. It's been two years."

A statement from Sri Lanka Cricket added: "We respect Ashantha’s decision and thank him for the services he rendered to Sri Lanka Cricket during his tenure as the chairman of the cricket selection committee."

Since taking on both roles in November 2018, De Mel has presided over just two Test and ODI series wins, a 50-over World Cup campaign in which the team finished sixth and just a single T20 success.

Former interim head coach Jerome Jayaratne has been enlisted as the new team manager while a decision over the make-up of the selection committee will be made in due course.

The men's senior team are next in action against West Indies, where they are scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s.

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