Stuart Law named interim coach of Sri Lanka

(GETTY IMAGES)

Former Australia batsman Stuart Law has been promoted to interim head coach of Sri Lanka.

Law, who has served as an assistant to the outgoing Trevor Bayliss since November 2009, will take the reins for next month's tour of England following Bayliss' resignation.

"We have requested Law to take over as coach for the England tour until we finalise our headhunt for Trevor Bayliss' successor," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said.

Bayliss, who had been in the job for four years, announced his intention to leave prior to the recent World Cup. He is due to take over as New South Wales coach.

Law, a stalwart of Queensland's line-up for over 10 years, played one Test and 54 one-day internationals for Australia.

He will be charged with bringing order to Sri Lanka in the midst of a testing time following their six-wicket loss to India in the World Cup final.

That defeat led to a rash of resignations, with skipper Kumar Sangakkara and vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene stepping down from their posts and Sri Lanka's three-man selection committee following suit.

Sangakkara resigned as Sri Lanka's one-day and Twenty20 captain with immediate effect, but has offered to continue as Test skipper in the short-term until a suitable replacement is found.

Sri Lanka's tour of England, including a three-Test series and five ODIs, starts in mid-May with the first Test scheduled to get underway on May 26 in Cardiff.