4 April 2016 07:09 pm
Minister Ranatunga said he had no clue at all as to who was the Sports Minister as Sports Minister did not take decisions on cricket right now and added when an interim committee was in charge of cricket, no one could pilfer money from cricket.
“We have brought cricket in Sri Lanka to a position which we can be proud of. If we are to save the most popular and widespread sport in the country, we must relieve it from bookies. The best strategy available to us to put an end to the current mess in cricket is to dissolve the CB and appoint an Interim Committee. I am ready to take the leadership of this endevour, for the sake of national cricket of our country,” Minister Ranatunga said.
Minister Ranatrunga said cricket in Sri Lanka was in its lowest ebb and something has to be done to prevent further deterioration of it. "I have appraised President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and ready to face the challenge with a new team of management," he said.
Addressing the media after giving a statement to the Human Rights Commission following his complaint on the behaviour of Director General of Sports during the cricket board election, Minister Ranatunga added that applications for the Cricket Board election in January had been accepted violating the clauses 13,14 and 15 of the sports law and 11-F5 chapter of the Constitution of Sri Lanka Cricket. The action of the DG Sports had violated his rights and hence the complaint to the HRCSL, he said.
Minister Ranatunga said: "The current Cricket Board attempts to develop cricket in the country by bringing jockeys like Lester Piggott. I have heard that pictures of Piggott have replaced our pictures on the walls of the CB. But no one could swindle money when an interim committee is established."
He said he also served in the interim committee for about a year and never let any one to rip off the cricket fund.
He charged that those who supported the current members of the cricket board at the January election had been given positions at the board who did not have any knowledge in cricket and that had led to the erosion of cricket in the country. (Sandun A Jayasekera)