Conspiracies, power struggles, bookie connections and private agendas contributed to the downfall of Sri Lanka and its subsequent ban by the International Cricket Council, the cornered head of the player selection committee Pramodya Wickremasinghe said in a Press statement on Tuesday.
Preferring not to face direct media scrutiny, Wickremasinghe in issuing the Press statement said that more thought was given to what he said was fulfilling personal ambitions than looking into the welfare of the team.
“Conspiracies were implemented with various objectives. It is my observation that behind them there are people connected to the power struggles in cricket, brokers engaged in match-fixing gambling and people who strive to secure their place in the national team based on mere selfishness,” Wickremasinghe said in the Press statement.
His statement did not name anyone in particular but he also pointed fingers at social media activists and players who used the Platform to fight a campaign to influence their selection into the team.
In his Press statement Wickremasinghe also charged that social media platforms played a major role in encouraging conspiracies, with the ultimate goal of dismantling the existing cricket administration.
He also put the blame on outsiders interfering with team selection matters.
According to analysts Wickremasinghe’s Press statement revealed nothing or very little that caused the downfall of the team, the breakdown in administration or the financial misdeeds and power abuse taking place at Sri Lanka Cricket that has been documented by the Probe Report now in the custody of Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe who is in the forefront of the battle to clean up corruption.