Opposition MP Hesha Withanage was exposed after he demanded the arrest and questioning of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva and the Lanka Premier League (LPL) tournament director Samantha Dodanwela following the detention of a team’s franchise owner by police on charges of attempting to fix matches, a day after the player auction.
MP Withanage, while addressing the media, launched a scathing attack on the SLC officials following the arrest of Tamim Rahman, a Bangladeshi man holding British citizenship, who had approached two cricketers, which spurred the ICC’s Anti-Corruption officials to seek police action.
Rahman was subsequently arrested just moments before boarding a plane out of Colombo and was scheduled to return in July for the fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) cricket tournament.
“I call on the police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon to arrest and question both the SLC President and Tournament Director for attempts made to fixing cricket matches and bringing the country into disrepute through the LPL” said Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage who last year played a leading role in his battle against corruption at Sri Lanka Cricket.
MP Withanage was spurred on after 400 local and overseas players were registered and put up at the auction where incidentally two of Sri Lanka’s leading exponents of T20 cricket Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera could not entice a buyer in the first round of bidding. Eventually Perera ended up being unsold while Nissanka had a buyer in round two.
Five teams, Galle Marvels, Kandy B Love, Colombo Strikers, Dambulla Thunders and Jaffna Kings were in the fray at the LPL bidding process.
Sri Lanka Cricket Responds
But SLC in a media statement denied SLC President Shammi Silva and LPL Tournament Director Dodanwela had anything to do with these charges saying the LPL is being conducted with the blessings of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Sri Lanka Cricket vehemently refutes the allegations made by Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage during a media briefing which accused SLC president and the tournament director of the Lanka Premier League of involvement in match-fixing and corrupt conduct related to the LPL”, SLC said in its media statement.
Tamim, the owner of the LPL team Dambulla Thunders, has been barred from participating in the five-team T20 tournament. The league has also faced allegations that player managers influenced the auction by securing bids for their players in exchange for a 10 percent commission.
Dodanwela however said no manager of any player or players were allowed into the chamber where the bidding process took place and everything was monitored by him.
SLC Official Claims MP Withanage is a Puppet
Meanwhile, a senior official from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), speaking to The Morning Telegraph under the condition of anonymity, criticized MP Hesha Withanage, accusing him of misusing his parliamentary privileges and also when addressing the media. The official claimed that Withanage’s actions are influenced by former Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe, former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, and former SLC President Upali Dharmadasa.
“I do not have the parliamentary privileges to say what I wish, unlike MP Hesha Withanage who blows his trumpet ever so often, just to please certain people who continue to use him like a puppet in parliament and in this instance when addressing the media,” the official said.
He also suggested that Sajith Premadasa, leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, should address MP Withanage’s behavior, which allegedly involves tarnishing the reputation of SLC and demoralizing cricketers ahead of an important World Cup tournament.
The official emphasized the unifying power of cricket in Sri Lanka and noted that several MPs within the SJB party have expressed displeasure with Withanage’s conduct.
“MP Withanage is famously known to strike deals with people to express certain things by using his status especially in parliament,” the SLC official added, underscoring the controversial nature of the MP’s actions within the party and the broader political landscape.
MP Withanage further exposed for seeking favours from SLC
The SLC Official went on to further state “It is extremely sad that MP Hesha Withanage continues to sling mud at SLC. Let me tell you that there are several reasons why he keeps doing it. MP Withanage has on numerous occasions contacted SLC officials and have asked for several favours. Each time they have been vehemently denied. Firstly, he asked a SLC official for Rs 50 million. That was refused. Secondly, he asked SLC to build 100 cricket pitches in his electoral District of Ratnapura. That was refused too. Then he asked to be appointed as the Chairman of the Ratnapura District Cricket Association. Once again that was refused as well. We know that these refusals have been hurting this MP despite the several attempts he has been making to seek favours from SLC. If MP Hesha Withanage is so confident of what he states about these SLC officials, then he should go directly to the authorities and report his case, rather than making a fool of himself in such a manner. What’s further shocking is that several Members of Parliament just like MP Withanage have also made attempts to contact Anil Mohan, Chairman of Innovative Production Group FZE, the Events Rights Partner of the LPL through third parties to seek undue favours. The general public is not aware of such things.”
