Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the governinig body of the game in the island nation, is all set to part ways with its Director of Cricket Tom Moody, ending a three-year deal in just one-and-a-half years, according to a report in the local media.
Despite bringing a premature end to Moody’s contract, the SLC will reportedly retain former skipper and Consultant coach Mahela Jayawardena, who had recently accepted a broader responsibility with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI), according to a report in the Sunday Times newspaper.
The reason behind the SLC’s call is that it wants to give a wider role to Jayawardena, the report added.
“However, the Board now feels that, with Jayawardena heavily involved in shaping the future of cricket on the island, it could do without Moody now. Thus, it has reached an amicable exit plan with the former Australian cricketer-turned-coach. He will be paid US$ 45,000 as compensation,” the report said.
“His three-year contract mandates Moody to spend at least 300 days in Sri Lanka focusing on “analysis of the future tour programme, focusing on the domestic tournament structure, player welfare, education and skill development, coaching and support staff structure, high performance, and data analytics,” the report added.
According to the report, the decision will also help the SLC in cutting down on some extra expenses as Moody “was paid a fee of US$ 2,000 for each day he spent in Sri Lanka, in addition to all other perks including five-star accommodation”.
Meanwhile, a senior officer also confirmed that the Board has already mutually agreed with Moody to part ways, the Sunday Times said. “We will have to compensate him for early termination but even that’s a better option than keeping him for further one-and-a-half years,” sources told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, Moody was hired for a three-year stint by a Technical Advisory Committee led by Aravinda de Silva in March 2121 and was given a wide role, spanning the women’s and men’s games, and domestic and international cricket.