Violation of cricket ethics begins from the top: Arjuna

• Says Cricket Board filled with thieves and gamblers ruined the sport
• Commends new Sports Minister for steps taken to uplift cricket, recommends appointing interim committee

Former national cricket captain and Minister of Petroleum Resource Development Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday said that the violation of cricket ethics began from the upper echelons of cricketing management, asserting that cricketers alone could not bear the blame.

He said that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board had was responsible for creating an environment where cricket ethics were violated. 

“Violation of cricket ethics begins from the top of the management. Even match fixing starts from top to bottom. School children do not learn subjects, but thievery. It originates from cricket. Our national cricket has degraded because of the group of thieves in cricket management. “In the T20 format of the game, our ranking is lower than Afghanistan. I’m not aware of a period of degradation in Lankan cricket to what it is now. Gamblers are ruining cricket. The former Minister of Sports and the current Government should take the responsibility for this. As the Yahapalanaya Government, if we had done the right thing, this situation wouldn’t have prevailed,” he said. 

He went on to commend current Minister of Sports Faiszer Mustapha for taking steps to uplift and safeguard the game.

“It’s a good sign that the current Minister of Sports is looking to uplift cricket. The best way to do so is to appoint an interim committee,” Ranatunga added.