Arjuna Ranatunga claims cricket has become a gambling game

Tags: India tour of Sri Lanka 2017, Sri Lanka v India 5th ODI at Colombo, Sep 03, 2017, India, Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga

Published on: Sep 02, 2017

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Outspoken former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga recently gave an interview to Indian Express in which he discussed about Sri Lankan cricket’s

Outspoken former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga recently gave an interview to Indian Express in which he discussed about Sri Lankan cricket’s current status, the 1996 World Cup win as well as the 2011 World Cup final controversy.

Asked about what was currently wrong with Sri Lankan cricket, he told Indian Express, “I think the worst part is, to tell you honestly, our administration is very poor. Cricket is run by gamblers and cricket has become a gambling game. So you can’t blame the players. I don’t agree with some of the things happening today, but unfortunately we don’t have a single person who has played international cricket in the cricket board. That’s where the entire thing has gone wrong.”

On demanding a probe into the 2011 World Cup final, which Sri Lanka lost, he clarified, I never said ‘fixing’ about the 2011 final. I said, ‘do an investigation’. There were a lot of concerns we all went through and that is the reason, when I had to speak, I said ‘do an investigation on that particular game’. I never said A or B or C got involved in that. A lot of people had concerns.”

Ranatunga was also asked if the 1996 World Cup semi-final against India was a turning point in the nation's cricketing history. He told Express, “I don’t think Eden Gardens was the turning point. It was the Delhi game which we won against India in the first round. I think that was a crucial game as far as we were concerned. That’s where some of the younger cricketers realised that we were a capable side and we could beat anyone in their own country.”

In the wake of Kohli-Kumble spat, he was also asked about the roles of coach and captain. He explained to Indian Express, “No, the coach will be there to assist and support. But the captain runs the show. If you take a vehicle, captain is the driver.”

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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