Former Sri Lankan cricketer and minister, Arjuna Ranatunga has expressed his disappointment over their international players in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, not joining the protests as the country faces its worst-ever economic crisis. Ranatunga wants these Sri Lankan players to leave IPL for a week
“I really don’t know but there are some cricketers who are lavishly playing in the IPL and haven’t spoken about their country. Unfortunately, people are scared to speak against the government. These cricketers are also working for the cricket board under the ministry and they are trying to protect their jobs. But now they have to take a step as some of the young cricketers also came forward and gave statements in support of the protest,” Ranatunga was quoted by NDTV Sports.
On the other hand, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have shared their thoughts urging the government to take necessary actions. The former teammates Sangakkara and Jayawardene are associated with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) respectively.
“I am sure you all know who are the players, playing in the IPL. I don’t want to mention but I would want them to leave their job for a week and come in support of the protests,” said Ranatunga, without pointing out any specific player.
Sri Lankan players playing in IPL include Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana. Hasaranga was the most expensive player out of the lot as he was roped in for a whopping Rs 10.75 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the mega auction 2022.
“When something is going wrong, you should have the guts to come out and speak against it, without thinking about your business.
“People ask me why I am not in the protests. It’s just that I have been into politics for the last 19 years and this is not a political issue. So far, none of the political parties and politicians have got into the protests and that’s the biggest strength of the people of this country,” the former World Cup-winning captain added.
