Sri Lanka selection committee is headed by Jayasuriya. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket selectors, headed by former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, quit on Friday to allow the new management to take over the island’s cricket governing body, which has been mired in allegations of widespread corruption.
Jayasuriya, 45, has been accused of politicising the game after he became a member of parliament from President Mahinda Rajapakse’s party following his retirement from the game in 2009.
The former batsman also copped criticism for making four changes to the team at last month’s World Cup quarter-finals that Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by nine wickets.
Critics took issue with the inclusion of new opening batsman Kusal Perera and paceman Dushmantha Chameera for Sri Lanka’s defeat in the lopsided match.
Jayasuriya — a member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning team — said he was bowing out to give the new management an opportunity to appoint a new selection panel but did not rule out a comeback. “I am always available if Sri Lanka Cricket needs me to serve the country in the future,” he said in his letter of resignation.
He said the other four members of the selection panel have also stepped down, though their contracts run until the end of the month.
“We gave separate letters of resignations and have quit,” added Jayasuriya.
The mass resignation comes just days after Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake appointed an interim committee headed by former Test player Sidath Wettimuny to manage Sri Lanka Cricket, asking him to ‘clean up’ the administration of the sport.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2015.
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