Kumar Sangakkara said it would be an “exciting prospect” to manage England in limited-overs cricket but stressed he had yet to receive a formal approach about the role. The England and Wales Cricket Board are looking for a new white-ball boss after effectively sacking Matthew Mott on Tuesday. The Australian has overseen two mediocre title defences at both the 2023 50-innings World Cup and the T20 World Cup in June. Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick has been appointed as interim manager for September’s one-day international and home T20 series against arch-rivals Australia, while England men’s cricket executive Rob Key is looking for a permanent replacement for Mott.

Sri Lankan legend Sangakkara’s name was also mentioned for the vacancy, partly because he has worked alongside England captain Jos Buttler at Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

But the 46-year-old former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper and batsman did not concede many goals on Friday.

“I know (my name) has been mentioned for a reason but there has been no such approach yet,” Sangakkara, who is on Sky Sports’ The Hundred commentary team, told Britain’s PA news agency.

“The England white-ball job is an exciting prospect for everyone, but there are so many good candidates out there. I think Matthew Mott has done a really good job.

“It’s great to have Jos Buttler in a leadership role as the team progresses because it’s a good period in terms of where the team is now and where it’s been and how it wants to go in the future.

“I think the decision-making in the England camp was spot on. I really liked the leadership that Rob Key provided… I thought he was a really smart, practical guy, very sensible in his decision-making and very forward-thinking in his vision for England cricket.”

Sangakkara, who became the first non-English president of Lord’s Ground Owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), added: “I am very happy at the moment. The Rajasthan Royals experience was very fulfilling and it was a job I really enjoyed for the last four years.”

Meanwhile, Sangakkara said he was happy to see his compatriot Chamari Athapaththu, who led the Sri Lanka women’s team to victory in the Asia Cup last week, playing for the Oval Invincibles in the Hundreds category.

“I am excited for Stokes to play, but I am even more excited for Chamari Athapaththu to play because he has been a brilliant, inspirational leader and captain for global cricket from Sri Lanka’s perspective,” Sangakkara said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)