Mickey Arthur likely to be appointed as Sri Lanka's coach

Mickey Arthur is likely to be appointed as the next coach of Sri Lanka's cricket team, despite Chandika Hathurusingha not having been officially removed from the post.

There has not been a contract signed yet between Arthur and the Sri Lankan management, but the officials of the country's cricketing board have shown their faith in the South African's abilities.

If all negotiations go according to plan, then Arthur could very well be coaching Sri Lanka before their two-match Test series against Pakistan later this year.

"We are having discussions with Mickey. We think we will be able to reach an agreement," ESPNcricinfo quoted Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de Silva as saying.

"He had won the 2017 Champions Trophy with Pakistan and had also taken Pakistan to the number one spot in T20s. He's a well-known coach and he's been around for a while," he added.

SLC has been looking for a new coach ever since the end of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Arthur has previously coached South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in the past.

Arthur was Pakistan's coach till the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup, but he was let go by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to bring in Misbah-ul-Haq as the coach of the side.

If Arthur becomes Sri Lanka's coach, then he will be the 11th coach of the men's team, including interim appointments, since 2011.