Moody contemplates Sri Lanka plans

Tom Moody, the former Australian allrounder who coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup final, will decide his future later this month, a Sri Lankan Cricket official said on Friday.

"Tom departed for Britain on a holiday," K Mathivanan, secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket board, told AFP. He said Moody was expected to return to Colombo on May 12 and will then discuss his future with the team and the governing body.

"We will be announcing a decision on Tom's future on May 14," Mathivanan said. Moody's contract ends on May 31 and he is due to tour Abu Dhabi with the Sri Lankan team for a one-day series with Pakistan before then.

Moody was appointed Sri Lanka's national coach in 2005 succeeding John Dyson, the former Australian batsman. Moody has been linked with Western Australia, the Australian state side, after his contract with the Sri Lankans expires.

Moody has been reticent about his plans, repeatedly saying that he would discuss them with the Sri Lankan authorities after the World Cup. Under Moody's guidance Sri Lankans have had a fine run overseas. They swiped out England 5-0 in a ODI series while drawing the Test series 1-1 in the summer of 2006. Earlier this year they drew 1-1 in Tests in New Zealand before capping off the season with a World Cup final appearance.