"Mahela is still short of experience as a senior coach, he may be good as a T20 batting or a fielding coach," Sumathipala told the local Neth FM radio.
He said the Mumbai Indians' coach and former Sri Lankan captain has also some of his playing day contemporaries in the current national side.
Jayewardene, who retired in 2014 after a glittering international career, is regarded as one of the best cricketing brains.
Graham Ford, who was the coach only for one year, decided to quit this week reportedly due to differences of opinion with Sumathipala's management.
Sri Lanka has had some nine interim and permanent coaches since 2011.
SLC sources said they were mulling approaching Chandika Hathurusinghe, the current Bangladeshi coach to take over. But his contract with the Bangladeshis will only end in 2019.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
