Former Kent coach Graham Ford has been appointed the new Head Coach for Sri Lanka.

Ford had been tipped to take over the hotseat with the Sri Lankans after Geoof Marsh was sacked a few days ago.

A statement said: “The executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket takes this opportunity to wish… the newly appointed

coach Graham Ford the best of luck during their tenure with the national team.   “They also convey their gratitude to Geoff Marsh the outgoing national coach.”   Ford, 51, is the fourth coach appointed by Sri Lanka since Australian Trevor Bayliss stepped aside after the World Cup

final in April 2011. Bayliss’s assistant Stuart Law coached the team for the England series and quit to coach Bangladesh.

A former all-rounder, Ford quit as head coach of the Dolphins, the Durban-based franchise last week, and said he wanted to

“follow my dreams of involvement at an international level”.   Ford replaced the late Bob Woolmer in 1999 as South Africa coach, a post he held until 2001. He moved to Kent as director

of cricket in 2004, and returned home in 2006 to take charge of the Dolphins.   In June 2007, he turned down an offer to coach India, after being asked to replace Australian Greg Chappell. In 2009, he

withdrew his name as candidate to coach England.