The Cricketer looks at the job facing the former England coach, who has signed a two-year deal as the permanent successor to Mickey Arthur
While Silverwood is not new to the international game, he arrives at the Sri Lanka post as a relative outsider.
Prior to taking up head coach roles with Essex and England, he had spent a period as bowling coach in the background, alongside a 16-year playing career mainly based in his homeland.
At Chelmsford, he'd been in the role six years before succeeding Paul Grayson, while with the national team he spent 21 months alongside Trevor Bayliss before taking over following the 2019 Ashes.
But amid these new surroundings, the schedule won't allow the 47-year-old a honeymoon period.
They are straight off to Bangladesh for a two-Test tour in May and then host Australia for three T20s, five ODIs and a pair of Tests across June and July.
And it remains to be seen whether Silverwood has Sri Lanka's IPL players available for the hastily-arranged visit of The Tigers.
Wannindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chammera, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne and Bhanuka Rajapaksha are currently in India for the franchise competition.
Australia and Bangladesh go head-to-head in June and July (AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)
Mickey Arthur was painted as a strict operator during his Sri Lanka tenure as he attempted to raise standards across the playing squad, putting on an onus on fitness and ethics.
Silverwood, in stark contrast, was the considered face of England. One described as the "quiet man" by Rob Key, he was a guarded individual never likely to fly off the handle or make knee-jerk decisions.
That said, attempts to protect his players in the media would sometimes involve some cringeworthy strategies.
Last December, he was roundly mocked for claiming there were "positives" to be taken from the Ashes innings defeat at the MCG.
But it is worth noting that as Silverwood's demeanour was often criticised for being too tame, others face scrutiny for going too much in the other direction.
A "too intense" approach eventually contributed to the departure of Justin Langer from Australia, with players unhappy with his coaching style despite helping to deliver a T20 World Cup and an Ashes.
The reality is there is a balance to be struck between these two extremes, but Silverwood may need to alter his approach if he is to get Sri Lanka's stars to respond.
Mickey Arthur spent two years as Sri Lanka head coach (ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)
The Sri Lanka captaincy has been one of the great hot potatoes of international cricket in recent years.
Since the retirement of messieurs Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, a dozen players have led the country across their last 260 internationals.
Dimuth Karunaratne is currently in charge of the Test side, with Dusan Shanaka leading the white-ball teams.
While the T20 World Cup and series wins over India and South Africa last year, the emergence of Hasaranga, Chameera and Charith Asalanka is evidence of brighter things to come for the limited-overs teams, the same level of progress has not yet been made by the red-ball team.
There are some clear and obvious reasons for this - the domestic structure and current priorities - beyond Silverwood's remit and control. And little of the blame falls at the feet of Karunaratne, either.
A role that for so long has lacked clarity and solidity requires a vote of confidence, particularly in light of a record of seven wins in 18 Tests. It is the king of return that forgets that amazing series win in South Africa in 2018/19.
And there is little need to rock the boat when Karunaratne appears to be in the form of his life. Five centuries in his last nine Tests has seen his average as skipper climb to 49.45. He is No.6 in the ICC Test batting rankings ahead of the likes of Virat Kohli and David Warner.
A Test captain who is also the leading batter? Silverwood knows a thing or two about working with those.
Sri Lanka showed signs of improvement at the T20 World Cup - but the tournament in Australia will pose a different challenge (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)
Tom Moody. Mahela Jayawardene. Kumar Sangakkara. Muttiah Muralitharan. Aravinda de Silva. Lasith Malinga.
No detailed history of Sri Lanka cricket during the 21st century is complete without each of them.
But what about the future?
No international sports team is more obsessed by its figures of the past. It isn't that certainly don't have plenty of add - Moody and Jayawardene are credible coaches at the top level - but their influence is too great.
As mentioned previously, Silverwood isn't one to start rocking the boat but it would be fair to ask what their roles look like going forward.
De Silva's position as chair of the cricket committee looks like the most permanent, and yet raises the most questions.
For one thing, he made SLC's desire to consult Justin Langer over the vacant coaching position public at the start of the year.
And given Paul Farbrace turned down the opportunity to swap Warwickshire for a return to international cricket, Silverwood knows he was at best third choice in the eyes of the 1996 World Cup winner.
For a batter who performed with such grace, De Silva hasn't quite captured that during his career as an administrator.
He told players "they should win games and not complain" after a revised payment structure as part of the new central contracts was rejected last year.
And when three players were sent home after breaching the Covid-19 bio-bubble during the tour of England, he called for a "suitable punishment".
Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella were eventually banned for a year and fined for their involvement.
For a team never far from standing on the brink of a crisis, they parachute in supermen from yesterday at the drop of a hat.
Silverwood deserves better.
Aravinda de Silva (ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)
It might be a thought that will make the guardians of red-ball cricket shudder, but the 20-over format simply has to be the focus during the early months of Silverwood's tenure.
Sri Lanka will host the return of the Asia Cup in August and September, a tournament that for all its importance will help form the squad for the World Cup later in the year.
While the tournament will give Silverwood more knowledge about the temperament of his players, the event in Australia later in the year will be testing.
The five-match T20I series down under in February, won 3-1 by Aaron Finch's side, was a snapshot into how difficult things might be for Shanaka's side.
Victory in the fifth match in Melbourne was the first on Australian soil for five years. It is hardly a surprising return when you consider how few Sri Lankans feature in the Big Bash League, which now clashes with the Lanka Premier League.
Pre-tournament qualifiers against Namibia, United Arab Emirates and another nation yet to be confirmed, might ensure they don't go home empty-handed but it'll get no easier from that point onward.
There are some key areas of the team that need attention before the squad returns to Australia.
Developing some middle-order firepower (perhaps a Shanaka and Hasaranga axis?) and sorting out the death bowling are important components of any successful T20 side and they are the priorities for Silverwood once he has settled in.
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