Minister Arjuna criticise former sports ministers for incompetency

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday said the time had come to bring down the corrupt people from the President’s stage who ruined the cricket in the country.

While responding to a question raised by a journalist about a statement made by the President with regards to the cricket in the country in Polonnaruwa recently, the minister said this year would be the significant year for the changing the direction of the Cricket in Sri Lanka (SLC) to a better direction.

“Arjuna Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup. What had happened today.the country which won the World Cup had today become the most corrupted country in the world. Certain team members were responsible for our defeat.this was a serious situation,” President said in Polonnaruwa recently.

President’s image too will be tarnished if he associates with corrupt individuals who brought disrepute for the SLC, he said.

“Our cricket had been like our religion. It started to decline since 2015. Blames cannot be put only for the cricketers. Responsible should be delegated to the people who came to manage the cricket. I told that since 2015, but no one cares. Ministers Dayasiri Jayasekara and Faizer Mustapha were the ministers who controlled cricket related affairs after 2015.Those two ministers were from Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and they allowed irresponsible individuals to administer the cricket.this situation has led to current deterioration status of cricket,” Minister further said.

I must thank the President for realising about the corrupt persons. But they are the persons who used to stand up with the President in his stage, Minister Ranathunga said.

President had made his remarks in front of the former minister Thilanga Sumathipala who was the former President of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). So the President can take actions directly without making any statements.

“I know about the President. He is the person who takes the decision at the right time. Maybe the time had been expired. But he will take an immediate decision. Minister Harin Fernando is the present sports minister from the United National Party (UNP). He is also a person who takes right decisions at the right time and therefore a definite corrective measures would be taken at the next SLC election,” Minister added.