Former India stumper Kiran More takes charge as the interim coach of the senior USA cricket team last month, on an interim basis. He has been handed the job alongside a group of advisors, including former India players Sunil Joshi and Pravin Amre, following the resignation of head coach Pubudu Dassanayake.
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The 56-year-old More was brought on as director of cricket in June, alongside former West Indies batsman Kieran Powell as high performance manager, to oversee the operations.
Also assisting them is former Australia assistant coach David Saker and Mumbai Indians fielding coach James Pamment.
Dassanayake had taken USA from World Cricket League Division Four in November 2016 to ODI status in April after securing a top-four finish at WCL Division Two in Namibia.
Paraag Marathe, chairman of USA Cricket, said, “I want to thank Pubudu for the work that he’s done over the past few years to help the team reach ODI status. He is an extremely accomplished coach and a person of great integrity and strong values and his contribution to USA Cricket is valued by us all. He leaves USA Cricket at this time with our best wishes for the future.”
It has been learnt that Dassanayake decided to step down following a breakdown in his relationship with the USA cricket board officials.
A full-time coach is likely to be appointed soon.
USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has abruptly resigned after just under three years in the role following a breakdown in his relationship with the USA Cricket board.
Kiran More, the former India wicketkeeper, was brought on as director of cricket in June, alongside former West Indies batsman Kieran Powell as high performance manager, to oversee the operation.
They will be assisted in the interim by Pravin Amre, the former India Under-19 coach, former India spinner and recent Bangladesh spin coach Sunil Joshi, the Mumbai Indians fielding coach James Pamment and David Saker, the former Australia assistant coach.
Dassanayake had taken USA from World Cricket League Division Four in November 2016 to ODI status in April after USA secured a top-four finish at WCL Division Two in Namibia. However, sources said that Dassanayake’s relationship with the board became increasingly strained over the last year, in spite of USA’s on-field success, due to his increasing influence over national team selection matters. The relationship continued to go south after the recent licensing agreement was signed between Willow TV and Times of India Group to form American Cricket Enterprises (ACE).
At a USA national team camp held in Los Angeles in June, More and 29-year-old Powell – who earlier this week was dropped from Cricket West Indies central contracts list for 2019-20 – were introduced and the pair of hires are being backed by ACE with board members split on Dassanayake’s role. Dassanayake was understood to have been informed by More at the camp that all selection decisions going forward would have to go through More whereas previously Dassanayake had a heavy say in selection matters along with USA Cricket selection chairman Ricardo Powell.
A USA T20 World Cup qualifying squad was supposed to be announced shortly after the selection camp ended in June, but the announcement has been delayed by disagreements over selection between More and Dassanayake, according to sources. Dassanayake flew to England with USA Cricket administrator Wade Edwards to sit with ICC COO Iain Higgins this week in an attempt to mediate the selection issues. Higgins is due to be announced as USA Cricket chief executive at the conclusion of the World Cup.
But the issues could not be smoothed over. Dassanayake’s contract, which had
originally been due to end in March 2019, was extended through December 2019 to
cover USA’s tour of Namibia in April – where he helped lead them to ODI status
– as well as keep him in charge through the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE
this October. However, once the ACE licensing deal was announced in May, he was
not expected to be offered an extension beyond the end of 2019 even though he
had just led USA to ODI status. His support within the board had waned in the
last year while ACE management had expressed a desire to hire their own
leadership to guide the national team.
More is now expected to have a major influence in USA national team affairs
going forward. According to sources, meetings had already begun last week to
find a replacement for Dassanayake in anticipation of his resignation with
Joshi a prime candidate for the full-time role.
