Retiring cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara made a scathing attack on two Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials for taking them off their feet just before the T20 World Championships in Bangladesh with unwarranted allegations.
Jayawardena and Sangakkara who will retire from T20 Internationals with their successful campaign in Bangladesh made these observations soon after they arrived from Bangladesh with the T20 World Cup trophy, their first in as many as 18 long years.
“I’m really sad the CEO, Ashley de Silva and the Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, Nishantha Ranatunga without consulting us went to their own media outlet and spoke about us. If they were responsible parties, they should have come to us first and checked whether we had said so.
“I’m going to submit a letter today (yesterday) that I’m retiring from Twenty 20 cricket. Those people should take responsibility for causing us such mental agony during the tournament,” said a disappointed Jayawardena, a terrific cricketer who has served Sri Lanka cricket with profound commitment since 1997.
Sangakkara, responding to a question, by a local newspaper, said that the tournament in Bangladeshwould be his last T20 international tournament, while Jayawardena aired similar sentiments after landing in Bangladesh.
Their decision, though pre-empted, angered the cricketing establishment, where they were roundly criticized by the chairman of selectors, Sanath Jayasuriya and cricket officials for allegedly making public their decision to retire from the short format of the game.
“Let’s speak the truth. Unfortunately me and Sanga had a media ban imposed on us by the team manager throughout the World Cup. So we didn’t have any opportunity to explain about our retirement,” he said, addressing the media at the arrival lounge of the airport.
“We were to meet at 1.00 a.m. for departure from Sri Lanka but till 9.00 p.m. we didn’t know whether we would be flying. So we didn’t have any chance to brief the media about our retirement. But, the media in Bangladesh wanted to know if it was our last World Cup. I’m 37 years. So I said it was my last World Cup. That’s all what I said. I didn’t summon the media and reveal it,” Jayawardena said.
Sangakkara, meanwhile, agreed with the comments made by Jayawardena and said that as cricketers their job is to play cricket and focus on the game.
We took up the issue with the chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya in Bangladesh,” Sangakkara, who was named the man of the match for his unbeaten 52 in the final, said.
