Mahela, Murali and Mahanama reject SLC offer

Three former Sri Lankan test cricketers have turned down the offer to serve as consultants for Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO, Ashley De Silva, yesterday (June 14) announced Sri Lanka Cricket had proposed for the appointment of a committee comprising of Sri Lanka Cricket legends, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama to be consultants.

In response, Mahela Jayawardena says he spent one year in the cricket committee and six months in a special advisory committee and no recommendations put forward by them were implemented. Jayawardena says he does not have any trust in the system and requests “if anyone wants to buy time, please don’t use us “.

Former cricketer Roshan Mahanama has also responded to the offer. Mahanama says absolute honesty, transparency and strict adherence to accepted norms and practices in all dealings connected to Sri Lanka Cricket are of paramount importance. In a letter to the minister of sports, Mahanama says he is not available to accept the offer unless these issues are properly addressed and resolved.

In addition, spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, though appreciating the invitation says it is “sad that national cricketers are not consulted until operations hit rock bottom”. While rejecting the offer, Muralitharan notes he “stands by the sentiments expressed by Mahela Jayawardene”.