Sports

Sangakkara in trouble after wowing MCC

Sangakkara criticised what he alleged was a corrupt and politicised cricket administration at home.

Afp July 05, 2011

COLOMBO: Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara is in hot water after his highly acclaimed lecture at Lord's, where he criticised what he alleged was a corrupt and politicised cricket administration at home.

Sangakkara received a standing ovation after his outspoken remarks but they ruffled feathers back home in Sri Lanka, where sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage ordered an investigation into the speech.

"Sangakkara's lecture at Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) seems to have disturbed a hornet's nest," the state-run Lankapuvath news agency said.

The minister ordered Sri Lanka Cricket to make a report on Monday's speech, it added. "Sangakkara is likely to be called to explain," the agency said.

The star's controversial claims came just days after Sri Lanka's sports minister said he had forced the national cricket board committee to step down following allegations of financial mismanagement.

In his speech, Sangakkara welcomed the International Cricket Council (ICC) directive requiring all national boards to be elected without political interference.

"We have to aspire to better administration," said Sangakkara.

"The administration needs to adopt the same values enshrined by the team over the years: integrity, transparency, commitment and discipline."

He said power games among cricket administrators, as well as board politics, had triggered rifts, ill feeling and distrust among key players.

He quit the captaincy after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India.

Sangakkara, 33, became the youngest man to deliver the Cowdrey Lecture at MCC, which owns Lord's, the self-styled "home of cricket" in northwest London.

Last week, the ICC gave all member boards until its next meeting in June 2012 to implement the new board ruling and a further 12 months, to June 2013, before any sanctions will be considered.

COMMENTS (2)

Jerry | 13 years ago | Reply Wow ,What kind a reporting is this? you are Trying to cosied up Srilankan corrupt board? Seems like you are taking solace in reporting this news so you can justify that pakistan is not the only corrupt cricket board? GROW UP Sanga should be Lauded for his courage? But you are far far from that sense in your country , people like Sanga is what we need ,They are Backbone of any functioning Democracy,Where People are supreme not Power. Support him , Stay behind him ,Dont Scare him ,and DO NOT PRINT This kind a Head lines (that he is in big soup) Because you never know ,next person in line will be scared away from taking right side.

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply Yes , he will be in trouble. He has to pay the price for getting vocal against maladministration and corruption which is formally known as violation of the protocol. So he should now be maligned and dragged down. There are other big icons in cricket who will follow the protocol i.e. play safe and keep mum. They will continue to get their hefty salaries and retain their honour and godly image. And finally I think it's not hard to imagine the stand we, the common people are going to take :)

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