Sports and Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has questioned the presence of foreigners calling the shots in the Sri Lanka cricket team referring to them as “Suddho” or white people.
Foreigners coaching and mentoring players in the Sri Lanka team out-number locals that Minister Fernando claimed was having no bearing on the players.
“The top is in disarray. We have eight white men (Suddho) deciding what has to be done with the team and the players don’t understand what they are saying.
We cannot play cricket like this”, Minister Fernando said at a Press conference on Thursday that he summoned to reveal that the International Cricket Council’s CEO Jeff Allardice showed interest in lifting a ban imposed on Sri Lanka.
Fernando accused Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of not wanting to take responsibility for the team ending in the ninth slot at the 10-nation World Cup last October-November in India.
“I am telling SLC that somebody should take the blame for the debacle in the team. It is SLC that is responsible or is it the (foreign) coaches whose contracts we keep extending”, Fernando asked.
But former Sri Lanka and World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga said Minister Fernando’s curiosity to implement any changes at SLC was an eye-wash that most Sri Lankan followers will not buy.
