Ranatunga-Sumathipala battle intensifies

PM Ranil Wickremesinghe reacts as Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga speaks to him at the inauguration of FACETS Sri Lanka 2017 at the BMICH on Thursday (Aug 31) Pic by Dimuthu Premaratne

Former World Cup winning national cricket captain and Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has stepped up pressure on President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to remove Sri Lanka Cricket chief Thilanga Sumathipala.

Political sources said Ranatunga was awaiting President Sirisena’s response to his recent letter. President Sirisena told the media at the President’s House on Wednesday he would take up the issue with Sumathipala.

Sources said that Sumathipala, too, had made representations to President Sirisena with some of his cabinet colleagues taking his side. Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera, too,has thrown his weight behind Sumathipala in the wake of Ranatunga severely criticizing Jayasekera’s failure to intervene on behalf of cricket.

Ranatunga contested the Gampaha District on the UNP ticket whereas Sumathipala entered parliament through the UPFA National List after being rejected by the Colombo electorate. (SF)