Victoria Women's Cricket Coach Resigns After Staff Appointment Dispute

Victoria's women's cricket team has been dealt a significant blow with the resignation of head coach Dulip Samaraweera just two weeks after his appointment. The Sri Lankan legend's departure stems from a disagreement with Cricket Victoria (CV) over a staff appointment he sought to make.

Samaraweera, who represented Sri Lanka in seven Tests and five ODIs, was appointed on a two-year deal in May after serving as interim head coach since November 2022. However, his tenure was cut short due to CV's refusal to approve a specific coaching appointment he desired.

"During the recruitment process, Dulip had expressed a desire to make a specific coaching appointment in his support team," explained CV CEO Nick Cummins. "That appointment was unable to be facilitated due to internal policies we have in place. Following further conversations, Dulip decided he would prefer not to remain in the role."

Samaraweera's resignation leaves Victoria without a permanent head coach once again. Andrew Christie, Melbourne Renegades' WBBL assistant coach, will take over the reins on an interim basis. Christie, who joined CV in 2021, has experience leading the female emerging player program.

The departure of Samaraweera is a setback for Victoria, who are looking to build on their recent success in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL). The team won the WNCL title in 2021-22 and finished runners-up in 2022-23.

Samaraweera's resignation highlights the importance of alignment between coaches and administrators in professional sports. When there is a disconnect between the two parties, it can lead to instability and disruption within the team.

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