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Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from England

MANCHESTER, June 15 - Team manager Chandra Schaffter was told on the third morning of the current third Test against England at Old Traford here that his services would be no longer required at the end of the current tour of England.

His successor is Air Commodore Ajith Jayasekera whom Schaffter replaced as manager in March.

Jayasekera we understand, has been offered a two-year contract commencing from the home Test series against Bangladesh next month.

Schaffter said that he was informed about the decision of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board's interim committee (which met on Friday) by the Anura Tennekoon, the Cricket Board's chief executive.

Schaffter's contract as manager was for the tours to Pakistan (Asian Test championship final), Sharjah and England and came up for review during the meeting.

We understand one of the reasons for not extending Schaffter's contract was that chairman of selectors Guy de Alwis had complained to the interim committee that he was not given access to the team dressing room when he made a visit to Edgbaston during the second Test against England. De Alwis had gone to England to discuss the formation of the Sri Lanka one-day squad for the upcoming tournament.

Schaffter also angered the administrators back home when he allowed two players who were not members of the team to be included in the match against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Sajeeva de Silva and Pasan Wanasinghe who were playing in the Lancashire league were picked to play in that match which caused a lot of concern back in Colombo.

Schaffter also became unpopular with the British media by refusing them any interviews with his players other than the captain, coach and himself. He also fined fast bowler Chaminda Vaas US$200 for keeping a masseur in his room without permission during the tournament in Sharjah.

Commenting on his sacking, Schaffter said: "I saw it as a challenge to give something back to Sri Lanka cricket, but what can I do if they don't want me".

Schaffter was manager on two previous occasions, on the tour to England in 1991 and in 1999 when he was removed from his post on the allegations that he had connections with the Tamil Tigers a few days before the team left for a tour of Zimbabwe. 

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