Murali says politicians destroying cricket

Former Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan accused politicians of destroying cricket in Sri Lanka.

Murali told the Economic Times that Sri Lankan cricket is currently in a mess.

“From the days of Sanath Jayasuriya, Kaluwitharana, Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga to today, it has undergone a sea change. Don’t go so far back. In 2014, we won the World T20 beating India in the final in Dhaka and in 2011 we made the final of the 50-over World Cup in India. So what we are seeing today is a very recent development. To tell you the truth Sri Lankan cricket is currently in a mess,” he said.

Muralitharan said that politicians have taken over the running of the game and with little or no knowledge of the game they are destroying the institution with every passing day.

“Cricket is all about confidence. Giving the players the confidence to perform. Making them feel great when they wear Sri Lankan colours. I did not become a champion bowler in one day. For 4-5 years, Arjuna kept giving me the confidence. That’s how I became who I am. Now every time a batsman goes out to bat he is told you have to score or else we will bench you. The same is true for bowlers. In the last one year Sri Lanka has fielded some 60 players across all formats. 60 players in one year! This is irrational and tells you there is no vision how the game should be run. Such frequent chopping and changing will only end up destroying the game further,” he added.

Source : Colombo Gazette