Picture caption: Arjuna Ranatunga (third from left) converses with Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry (right) at the inauguration of the Lawyers Cricket World Cup at the P Sara Oval in Colombo
Lawyers playing cricket have snubbed corruption ridden Sri Lanka Cricket officials and not invited any of them for the eighth Lawyers Cricket World Cup which was inaugurated at the historic P. Sara Oval that hosted the country’s first Test match.
Instead, the cricket-playing lawyers invited as their chief guest the former Sri Lanka World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga along with Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry.
The Cricket Association of Advocates in India partner Sri Lanka Lawyers Cricket in conducting the tournament.
Ranatunga raised the curtain at the event in a promotional gesture by facing up to a ball sent down by Kaushalya Navaratne, the president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, as special invitees at the ceremony looked on with delight.
Ranatunga also addressed the invitees and showered praise on both the organizers and lawyers playing cricket at a time the country’s international image was tainted and shattered in the eyes of the world over corruption, financial rip-offs and nepotism at the sport’s parent body in the island.
Teams representing lawyers from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, England and Wales and the Commonwealth Combined are contesting the matches which began on Friday at venues in and around Colombo.
