Mahela Jayawardene will not be a full-time coach

Mahela Jayawardene had a great debut Indian Premier League as the head of coach of the Mumbai Indians. The team became the first team to win three IPL titles under the supervision of the former Sri Lankan legend. They defeated their Maharashtrian rivals Rising Pune Supergiant in a thrilling low-scoring final.

After the emphatic success at the IPL, Jayawardene will now feature as the head coach in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Khulna Titans have roped in the Sri Lankan with the hope of clinching what would be their first ever BPL title. But Mahela is not looking to be a full-time coach. He said after playing for such a long time for Sri Lanka, he now needs to give priority to his family.

When he was asked whether he is willing to work as a Head Coach round the year, Mahela retorted quickly by saying “No, I’m not looking at a career as a full-time coach.” To specify the reason behind his decision, he said: “After 18 years on the road in the Sri Lanka cap and colours, I need to spend time with family.  I’ve been clear on that, for I need time with family.”

He said he accepted Mumbai Indians’ offer since it was a job that involved less time. “The Mumbai Indians experience turned out to be just right – six-seven weeks at a stretch,” explained Mahela while talking to The Telegraph.

Ricky Ponting helped Mahela

He revealed that he had a conversation with the former MI coach Ricky Ponting before the IPL. “I did have a chat with Ricky, as that was important to me. Ricky gave me a very good idea,” said Mahela. He also said that he implemented some of Ponting’s tactics.

“I continued with lot of things put in place by Ricky, plus we incorporated a few things along the way. While I had to plan differently, continuity too is important. The Mumbai Indians had won the IPL in 2015, so it was important to keep ticking some of the boxes.,” he added.