Sri Lanka apologises to BCCI secretary Jay Shah over Arjuna Ranatunga's 'ridiculous' remarks

The Sri Lankan government has issued a formal apology to Jay Shah, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for the controversial remarks made by former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranatunga’s remarks, blaming Shah for the deterioration of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), prompted the government to express regret during a parliamentary session.

Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to their only World Cup victory in 1996, had said, “Because of the connection between SLC officials and Jay Shah, they (the BCCI) are under the impression that they can trample and control SLC. Jay Shah is running the Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC is being ruined because of pressure from Jay Shah. One man in India is ruining Sri Lankan cricket. He is only powerful because of his father, who is India’s home Minister.”

Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando, and Kanchana Wijesekara were the ones who conveyed their apologies. They also clarified that the responsibility for the cricketing issues lies with Sri Lankan administrators rather than external influences.

Minister Wijesekera said during the parliamentary session that the government expressed regret to the ACC president Shah. He further went on to say that the blame for the shortcomings of their institutions cannot be directed towards the Asian Cricket Council president or even other countries.

Additionally, Fernando said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has initiated communication with Shah to address the ban imposed on SLC by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He further said that the potential negative impact of the ICC ban, particularly on the upcoming U-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled for January.

“If the ICC ban is not lifted, no one will visit Sri Lanka for the tournament. Sri Lanka will also not earn a single penny from the cricket tournament,” said Fernando.

Read | ICC’s suspension of SLC ‘illegal’, says Sri Lanka sports minister

Last week, the ICC imposed an immediate suspension on SLC owing to significant government interference in the board’s administration. While labeled as a “suspension,” it serves as a warning from the ICC to deter ongoing government interference in SLC’s operations.