Australian former international Tom Moody is set to leave his post as Sri Lanka's director of cricket, officials said on Monday, weeks before the T20 World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 56-year-old's three-year contract is being terminated by "mutual agreement", Mohan de Silva, secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), told AFP.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A senior cricket source who did not wish to be named said that SLC "could not afford his fees in the long run", despite having savings of over $40 million.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We also feel we need a person who is more hands-on, who can spend more time in Sri Lanka," the source added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The source said that the former Test player was paid $1,850 a day plus expenses for the 100 days a year he was expected to spend in the country, which is suffering its worst economic downturn.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Moody will leave by the end of this month or before the T20 World Cup starts in Australia next month, another source said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former Sri Lanka head coach Moody was appointed director of cricket in February last year to help prepare the team for the T20 World Cup and the 50-over version in India in 2023.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
There was no immediate comment from the Australian, who last month said that he was taking a similar director of cricket post at Desert Vipers in the newly formed UAE-based International League T20.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Under Moody, Sri Lanka emerged earlier this month as surprise winners of the Asia Cup, seen as a tune-up for the World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
As director of cricket Moody drew up a performance-based pay structure which was resisted by the national squad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But they were eventually forced to cave in following threats that they would be dropped unless they agreed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka has faced acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines since late last year, but Sri Lanka Cricket remains flush with cash, according to board officials.<\/p>\r\n\r\n