(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] In the midst of turmoil for the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, the suspension imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) has sent shockwaves through the cricketing community. Despite its rich history, Sri Lanka faced a double setback with a disappointing performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and a failure to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Adding fuel to the fire, former Sri Lanka World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga pointed fingers at Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Ranatunga alleged that Jay Shah’s influence was detrimental to Sri Lankan cricket’s downfall, asserting that he was wielding power due to major connections.
“Jay Shah is running Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC is being ruining because of pressure from Jay Shah. One man in India is ruining Sri Lankan cricket, he is only powerful because of his father, who is India’s home Minister,” said Ranatunga as quoted.
Subsequently, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended apologies because Ranatunga’s accusations on Jay Shah. Tourism Minister Harin Fernando acknowledged this, stating, “The President spoke to Mr. Shah yesterday (Thursday) morning. Today, me and my Cabinet colleague (Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera) apologised in Parliament for those comments targeting him (Shah).”
In a further attempt to rectify the situation, Wijesekera and Fernando, in a parliamentary session, admitted fault in blaming Jay Shah for Sri Lankan Cricket’s struggles, acknowledging it as an erroneous assumption.
Wijesekera emphasized, “We as a Government express our regret to the Asian Cricket Council Cheif Jay Shah. We cannot point hands at the Asian Cricket Council Secretary or other countries for the shortcomings of our institutions. It is a wrong assumption.”
Looking forward, concerns were raised about the potential repercussions of the ICC ban. Harin highlighted the risk of further damage to the board, emphasizing the potential impact on the upcoming Under-19 World Cup scheduled in the beginning of 2024. He emphasized that without the ban being lifted, Sri Lanka would face challenges in hosting the tournament, potentially leading to financial losses.
“If the ICC ban is not lifted no one will visit Sri Lanka for the tournament. Sri Lanka will also not earn a single penny from the cricket tournament,” Harin asserted.
Wijesekera emphasized that their immediate focus is on lifting the ICC ban to ensure the smooth conduct of upcoming major tournaments in Sri Lanka.
“We have held relevant discussions with the representatives of the SLC and Sports Ministry. However, our primary responsibility is to work towards lifting the ban imposed by the ICC,” Wijesekera concluded.