Surrey head coach Graham Ford is leaving the county to return to the Sri Lanka national team. He will be the Sri Lanka head coach till 2019.

Ford once served as Sri Lanka head coach from 2012 to 2014 and then took up the job at Surrey.

In 2015, he led Surrey to promotion from County Championship Division Two and to the final of the One-Day Cup, where they lost to Gloucestershire.

"He has played an integral role in the progress that we have achieved," said director of cricket Alec Stewart.

"He has worked tirelessly with the players and his efforts can be seen in their individual performances and the team's results, culminating in promotion back to the First Division.

"It was a very tough decision for Graham to leave Surrey but we understand that the opportunity to go back and coach at international level with Sri Lanka was too good to turn down.

"Despite the timing of his decision, we wish Graham all the best and we will immediately start our search for a new head coach."

Ford, who has also worked for Kent and South Africa, was shortlisted for the England coach's job in 2009, with that role eventually going to Andy Flower.

(BBC)