Chaminda Vaas has resigned from the position of Sri Lanka’s new fast bowling coach within three days of his appointment due to a pay dispute. Announcing the news on Twitter, Vaas stated that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) turned down ‘his humble request’ which led to his decision.
I made a humble request to SLC and they turned it down.
That’s all I can say at the moment.
Justice will prevail!— Chaminda Vaas (@chaminda_vaas) February 22, 2021
Earlier, SLC also confirmed the development and called Vaas’s decision ‘disheartening’. In a release, the cricketing board stated, “It is particularly disheartening to note that in an economic climate such as the one facing the entire globe right now, Mr. Vaas has made this sudden and irresponsible move on the eve of the team’s departure, based on personal monetary gain. The Management of SLC, and indeed the entire nation, hold Mr. Vaas in high esteem as a cricketer who has excelled for his country. His years of yeoman service have been appreciated and rewarded over the years both in status and in kind.”
The board further claimed that Vaas resorted to “holding the administration, the cricketers, and indeed the game at ransom” by handing in his resignation at the eleventh hour, citing the administration’s refusal to accept his demand for an increased remuneration despite being a contracted employee of SLC. Vaas has previously coached the national team in 2013, 2015, and 2017, along with coaching fast bowlers in the SLC Academy, Sri Lanka Under-19, and A teams. For a short period, he also coached New Zealand and Ireland fast bowlers in 2012 and 2016, respectively.
The former Sri Lanka pacer was recently appointed to replace David Sekar and was set to travel with the national team for thetour of the West Indies. However, he quit right before the team’s departure when his request to earn the same amount of salary as his predecessor Sekar was reportedly denied.
Notably, SLC’s payment structure ensures that foreign coaches earn considerably more than their local counterparts, due to the foreign currency exchange rate. According to ESPNcricinfo, SLC is likely to pick one of the coaches from the high-performance centre to replace Vaas for the time being.