Former fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake has been appointed Sri Lanka's interim cricket coach for their home test series against the Blackcaps.
But Sri Lanka Cricket have refused to clarify whether head coach Chandika
Hathurusingha has been sacked.
Appointed in December 2017, Hathurusingha has been criticised for the team's poor recent performances, including this year's Cricket World Cup, where Sri Lanka were knocked out in the group stage.
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Sri Lanka toured New Zealand over the summer, slumping to a 423-run defeat in a lost test series, swept in a three-match one-day series and losing a sole Twenty20 encounter.
"We've been watching the coach's performance for over a year-and-a-half.," said SLC president Shammi Silva. "Based on that, we've taken this decision.
"I was also in the board that recruited Hathurusingha and we've made some mistakes, but if we are to do right by cricket in future, we have to correct those mistakes."
Silva said Hathurusingha had been sent an explanatory letter and SLC would wait 14 days for his response. He refused to explain the issues with the coach, saying it was a "legal matter".
Hathurusingha confirmed he had received a letter.
"As far as I'm concerned, my contract with SLC is still there," Hathurusingha told ESPNcricinfo. "The letter doesn't say anything about termination of contract or anything like that."
Sri Lanka play New Zealand in a two-test series starting on August 14, followed by three T20 matches.
Reuters
