IANS
 
Colombo, Jun 16: Australian Trevor Bayliss has been appointed the Sri Lankan cricket team's coach for a two-year term, officials of the country's cricket board said Thursday.

Bayliss, who succeeds Tom Moody, will begin his term in August after giving up his coaching duties in New South Wales.

He becomes the fifth coach from Australia to take charge of the Sri Lankan team since 1995. Dav Whatmore had two stints with the national side. He was followed by Bruce Yardley, John Dyson and then Moody, reported Cricinfo website.

Jayantha Dharmadasa, president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), said Bayliss was interviewed here and had made such an impressive presentation that the board had no hesitation in contracting him as coach.

"Trevor came before a high-powered committee comprising Aravinda de Silva, Sidath Wettimuny, Michael Tissera, Anura Tennekoon and Duleep Mendis, who were very impressed with his presentation," Dharmadasa was quoted as saying.

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kanangan Mathivanan said: "Bayliss was one of the names suggested to SLC for the position by Tom Moody. The other was Terry Oliver, the Queensland coach who was also a strong contender for the position of the new Sri Lankan coach. He was interviewed a fortnight ago."

Bayliss will have his first international assignment with the Sri Lanka team when they take part in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup tournament in South Africa in September.

Trevor Penney, who was Moody's assistant, will handle the Sri Lanka team for the series against Bangladesh that starts next week.

SLC appointed former Sri Lanka fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake as assistant coach to succeed Penney who will be leaving at the end of his contract in August.