Former Sri Lanka head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has managed to eke out USD 164,000 as a settlement money, bringing an end to a long-standing dispute over the termination of his contract, as reported by The Sunday Times.
Having derived such a massive amount as settlement money, it is worth looking at who Hathurusingha is.
Who is Chandika Hathurusingha?
Born on September 13, 1968 in Colombo, Hathurusingha played 26 Tests and 35 ODIs for Sri Lanka from 1991 to 1999. The 57-year-old’s first-class career ended after the 2004-05 season and T20 cricket in the following one. After that, he turned to coaching, kickstarting his stint with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2005, earning an appointment on a one-year contract. Hathurusingha has also coached Sri Lanka A and was appointed as the assistant to Trevor Bayliss for the senior team but soon fired due to disciplinary seasons.
The 57-year-old, who obtained permanent residency in Australia soon, earned a position as the coaching consultant of the Canada national cricket team for the 2011 World Cup. During his stay in Australia, Hathurusingha worked with the New South Wales and the Big Bash League’s (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder. May 2014 saw him take over as Bangladesh’s coach, overseeing a successful stint, including ODI series wins over India, Pakistan and South Africa along with Test victories against England, Australia and Sri Lanka. After resigning from the role in late 2017, Hathurusingha became the coach of Sri Lanka but returned as Bangladesh’s coach in January 2023. His exit was controversial as allegations emerged of assaulting a team member.
What was SLC’s dispute with Chandika Hathurusingha about?
With Hathurusingha being shown the door following Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in the 2019 World Cup, the 57-year-old approached Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. According to The Sunday Times, the former head coach had sought approximately $5 million in damages after the contract termination and later lodged fresh legal action, seeking $4.5 as the initial CAS proceedings did not go according to plan.
The report further mentioned that a consensus was reached earlier this year as the ex-cricketer accepted a sum of USD 200,000, inclusive of 50 percent of his tax liability, with SLC agreeing to release a payment of $164000 to end the case. The Sunday Times’ report also mentioned that his tenure with the Sri Lankan team caused disharmony among the players and he was found guilty of six charges.