The first team to really extend Australia would do world cricket a favour John Dyson

The former opening batsman replaces fellow Australian Dav Whatmore, now in charge of Bangladesh, and has agreed a contract which will run until 2005

"I am very excited to be coach of the Sri Lankan team, which has great potential," said Dyson, who will take up his new job in September and plans to live in Colombo.

He is aiming high and immediately set the players the challenge to trying to match the standards set by Australia, the top rated side in Test and one-day cricket.

"Australia are going to fight to maintain their position at the top. It's everybody else's challenge and job to knock them off their perch. That's the challenge that faces these guys."

Improving consistency of performance is one of Dyson's main objectives and he added: "I want to develop an individual training schedule for players. It is important that players get individual attention."

Whatmore was sacked following the World Cup in South Africa and Bob Woolmer, Graham Ford, John Bracewell and Steve Rixon were all linked with the job.

Sri Lanka lost to Australia during the World Cup

Sri Lanka were unable to persuade any of them to take the job so Duleep Mendis was put in charge on a temporary basis for the recent tour to the West Indies.

The team were in the Caribbean when a "memorandum of understanding was reached with 48-year-old Dyson.

Although he does not have previous coaching experience at international level, the Board is confident he has the credentials to take Sri Lankan cricket forward.

Dyson played 30 Tests between 1977 and 1984, scoring 1,359 runs at an average of 26.64.

He made 102 in the 1981 Headingley Test, the match famously won by Ian Botham after England had been forced to follow on.

But Dyson's best Test innings came against West Indies at Sydney in January 1982 when he batted for over six hours to make 127 not out and save the match.