Arjuna Ranatunga sees little hope for Sri Lanka in World Cup

He did to Sri Lanka what Kapil Dev had to India and Imran Khan to Pakistan. Arjuna Ranatunga, who had led his country to their biggest achievement on the cricket field which was winning the World Cup in 1996, doesn’t see history repeating itself anytime soon. The 55-year-old cricketer-turned-politician on Friday made a gloomy prediction that disappointment was awaiting Sri Lanka at the mega event due this year in England.

Citing corruption among officials and indiscipline among the current players, the former batsman said he doubted if Sri Lanka would even go past the league stage of the tournament. They will play their first match of the tournament against New Zealand in Cardiff on June 1. The Islanders are currently touring Australia for a Test series and were walloped by an ordinary Australian side by an innings and 40 runs in the first Test.

Corruption in board, players fighting each other

“There is corruption at the board. Players are demoralised. Players are fighting with each other,” Ranatunga was quoted as saying by agencies. “We have to improve player discipline,” he said.

Sri Lankan cricket recently saw stand-in captain Thisara Perera writing a letter to the country’s cricket board CEO about bickering in the dressing room and he is said to have a social media squabble with T20 captain Lasith Malinga.

Ranatunga, who recently became Sri Lanka’s transport and civil aviation minister, is also preparing a new bid to take charge of the cricket team. Sri Lanka have done poorly recently, even at home, losing to sides like Zimbabwe, and the former captain held the national board and various unnamed players for the plight.

Sri Lankan Cricket has asked both Thisara and Malinga to refrain from the squabble but it hasn’t paid off. Ranatunga said he would contest the upcoming board elections to see a turnaround in the state of affairs. He also said that some players were not playing for the country but their personal gains.

Sri Lanka had made the finals of two World Cups after the historic 1996 win but on both occasions, they lost. Under Mahela Jayawardene’s captaincy, the Lankans lost the final of the 2007 World Cup against Australia while in 2011, Kumar Sangakkara led them to another final but this time, they lost to India.

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