John Dyson confirmed as new Sri Lankan coach

The former Australian opening batsman, John Dyson, has been confirmed as Sri Lanka's new coach. He replaces his fellow countryman, Dav Whatmore, who has now taken charge of Bangladesh, and has agreed a contract which will run until 2005.

"I am very excited to be coach of the Sri Lankan team, which has great potential," said Dyson, who will take over in September. He has not previously coached at international level, but the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lankan (BCCSL) is confident of his abilities.

Dyson has big plans for Sri Lanka, believing that they had the "depth and skill" to "knock the Australians off their perch" as the top-ranked Test side.

Dyson reached a "memorandum of understanding" with Sri Lanka while the team was in the Caribbean recently. He had been approached about the role when Whatmore was relieved of his position after the World Cup. Bob Woolmer, Graham Ford, John Bracewell and Steve Rixon were in the frame but turned the job down, so Duleep Mendis was put in charge on a temporary basis.

Dyson played 30 Tests for Australia between 1977 and 1984, scoring 1359 runs at 26.64, including two centuries. The first, at Headingley in 1981, had set Australia on their way to a crushing victory until Ian Botham and Bob Willis famously turned the tables. The second, at Sydney in January 1982, lasted for more than six hours and saved Australia from defeat against West Indies.