ICC OPENING ACU OFFICE IN SRI LANKA AN EMBARRASSMENT – ARJUNA
The International Cricket Council (ICC) opening an Anti-corruption Unit office in Sri Lanka should be considered an embarrassment for the country, World Cup winning former cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga said. As part of its ongoing investigations into what it has called “serious allegations of corruption” in the country’s cricket, the ICC stationed its Coordinator of Investigations Steve Richardson in Sri Lanka and gave its cricketers a two-week amnesty period to come forward with information regarding approaches to fix matches. Now the Minister of Transport, Ranatunga was also of the opinion that the changing of Sports Ministers will not resolve the issues faced by various sports.
“The Sports Ministers appointed by our government since 2015 have been unlucky. They were unduly influenced by bookies which has destroyed Sri Lanka’s cricket,” Minister Ranatunga said.
There have been three Sports Ministers since April last year.
Faiszer Musthapha replaced Dayaysiri Jayasekera when he resigned from the government in April 2018, before current Minister Harin Fernando took over last month.
“We have informed the President and the Prime Minister about the corruption in the country’s cricket over and over again. However we are now facing the consequences of the damage caused to cricket,” he also said.
“All details on the fixing of matches have been uncovered. ICC has set up a special unit to probe fixing. This is humiliating as far as Sri Lankan cricket is concerned,” Ranatunga also said.
“Sri Lanka’s cricket was controlled by a group close to President Maithripala Sirisena previously. They should be held responsible for destroying the country’s cricket” he added.
Ranatunga also said that with the World Cup in May, Sri Lanka will find it difficult to compete.
“The World Cup is not too far away. It will not be easy for Sri Lanka to compete considering the situation Sri Lanka’s cricket is in today. Our players are men of ability. The issue is with the administrators. We will focus on these issues during the upcoming Sri Lanka Cricket elections,”
Ranatunga is set to contest for a Vice Presidency post when the elections are held.