Ranatunga, Aravinda axed 8212; Report

The Islanders will host Australia and India in next month8217;s triangular series, and stylish middle-order bat Mahela Jayawardena is tipped to become vice-captain, Daily News said adding: quot;The panel will meet on Monday to make a formal announcementquot; on the wholesale changes.

quot;Sri Lanka will have a new cricket captain by next week,quot; the Daily News said adding Ranatunga, 35, may be given the option of quitting the captaincy and saving himself the indignity of being sacked.

quot;The need for a change at the top became apparent following Sri Lanka8217;s dismal run in the last five one-day tournaments beginning with the mini-World Cup in Dhaka in October last year and culminating with their unsuccessful attempt to defend the World Cup,quot; the Daily News said.

quot;It is the right way to send him off because the contribution Ranatunga has made for Sri Lankan cricket is immense. It would have been more appropriate if Ranatunga had taken the decision to quit the captaincy on his own a la Mark Taylor rather than leave it to the selectors to decide for him,quot; the paper said.

Although Ranatunga and de Silva will be stripped of their positions, they may still be retained in the team that will take on Australia and India at next month8217;s triangular, the paper said.

quot;But then, Ranatunga is Ranatunga. He likes to do things his way and to a certain point he succeeded. Now the cookie has crumbled,quot; the report said adding that both Ranatunga and de Silva may still be retained in the team.

Sri Lanka play a tri-series one-day tournament against India and Australia, followed by the three-Test series against Australia.

Ranatunga has been Sri Lanka8217;s most successful captain leading the country in 193 one-day matches in an 11-year career that saw the country become world champions in 1996. Under his captaincy, Sri Lanka won 89 matches and lost 95 with eight ending without result and one finishing in a tie.

The Daily News had suggested that among other players who should be shown the door were Roshan Mahanama, Hashan Tillakeratne, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Pramodya Wickremesinghe.

The paper said former coach Dave Whatmore, who guided the Islanders to victory in 1996, was ousted because he tried to build a young team after that. Sri Lanka have almost finalised the return of Whatmore, now coach of English county side Lancashire, on the Aussie8217;s terms.

Sri Lanka were knocked out of the World Cup in the league stage, beating only minnows Kenya apart from Zimbabwe.