Ruwan Kalpage fourth A team coach in nine months

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has appointed Ruwan Kalpage as the coach of the Sri Lanka A team; the youth team's fourth coach in just nine months.

Kalpage, previously a specialist BCCSL fielding coach, has been appointed for the forthcoming series between Sri Lanka A and India A, taking over from Chandika Hathurusingha who coached the side during the ICC Six-Nation tournament in Namibia last month.

Hathurusingha, 33, a ACB Level II coach, has not given up his ambitions of making a return to the national squad and admits that he is not yet ready for a full-time coaching position.

Hathurusingha had in turn replaced a disgruntled Roshan Mahanama, now a member of the interim committee running the BCCSL, after a breakdown in communication with the chairman of selectors Michael Tissera and interim committee member Sidath Wettimuny.

Mahanama came in for school friend Hemantha Devpriya, a former wicket-keeper batsman, after the Pakistan A series last year. Devpriya now works with the Development squad.

Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Graeme Labrooy has been appointed alongside Kalpage as team manager during the India series.

Bandula Warnapura, the BCCSL's Operations Director, admitted that constant change of coaches was far from ideal and revealed that the BCCSL will call for formal applications for a more permanent post during or after the India series.