Dejected former Sri Lanka cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga revealed a long concealed secret that he said he was compelled to disclose following the failure of what was his latest attempt to rid the sport of corruption.
The revelation came following his ouster as chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s Interim Committee on a court order which took the entire country by surprise.
Ranatunga was appointed as the head of an Interim Committee to run Sri Lanka Cricket after Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe using his powers sacked the corruption ridden cricket board on Monday.
“I will definitely return to national politics to rid this cricket set-up of corruption. This country cannot go on like this. I kept my intentions under wraps and now I have revealed it.
“I will come back into politics with a strong team and I will reveal the mastermind behind all this. With so much of corruption and the rogues safeguarded, I don’t know what is going to happen to this country,” said Ranatunga.
Almost at breaking down point, Ranatunga usually the most outspoken critic of Sri Lanka Cricket said he was disgusted, sick and tired and preferred to hold back some of his words that cannot be uttered in public.
“There is a big political hand in all this and I will reveal who the man is at an election. Boys and girls please take note there will not be any cricket left in this country for you.
“Sometimes I keep wondering what am I still doing in this country and I must be off my head to stick around,” said Ranatunga.
Asked by a reporter what he thought about the return of Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva following the court order to stop the Interim Committee from functioning for 14 says, Ranatunga said the shady cricket chief had just one reason to be back.
“He (Shammi Silva) is back where he likes to be to further rob and ruin cricket,” said Ranatunga.
In Parliament the ousted Ranatunga received the backing of his law maker brother Prasanna who was at one time a vice president at Sri Lanka Cricket.
“I was there serving as a vice president of Sri Lanka Cricket and I am well aware of what is happening,” Prasanna told Parliament in a heated discussion on Tuesday.
