COLOMBO, May 14: Sri Lanka's cricket authorities said on Monday they would immediately start the search for a new foreign coach to replace Tom Moody, who is leaving at the end of his contract this month.

“We will look for a foreign coach from tomorrow,” Kangadaran Mathivanan, secretary to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the governing body of the sport, said.

Tom Moody, who guided the islanders to the World Cup final last month, told the SLC on Monday that due to family and personal commitments he was unable to continue in the job.

The former Australian all-rounder is to take up coaching his state, Western Australia.

Mathivanan said the SLC would continue the policy of obtaining a foreign, as opposed to a local, coach and said it was too early to name possible contenders for the job.

Moody has recorded a high rate of success with the Sri Lankan team, particularly its performances overseas since he took up the job in May 2005.

He guided the Sri Lankans to drawn Test series in England and New Zealand and is largely credited with carrying Mahela Jayawardene's team to the World Cup final with Australia.

He was the fourth Australian to be in charge of the Sri Lankans after Dav Whatmore, Bruce Yardley and John Dyson.—AFP