Protest over Hindi song played for Lankan cricketers at ICC Champions Trophy  

By Uditha Jayasinghe

As protests sparked in Sri Lanka’s capital yesterday against an incident at the ICC Champions Trophy in England, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement regretting the oversight.

A group of Buddhist monks who are members of the Sinhalese hardline organisation Power of Ravana handed over a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket demanding that the ICC apologise to Sri Lanka.

The group of monks told the media that they were upset by the fact that when the Sri Lankan cricket team participated at the ICC Champions Trophy opening ceremony on 6 June they were greeted by a Hindi song while all other countries were represented with music from their own countries.

“No official protests were lodged by the puppet officials of Sri Lanka Cricket even though they were present at the event,” the letter handed over said. It was signed by the Convener of Power of Ravana Iththakande Saddhatissa thero.

However, Sri Lanka Cricket released a statement insisting that the ICC has apologised for the incident and would complain to the event management company that organised the opening ceremony.

“With reference to the Hindi song which was played while the Sri Lankan national flag was paraded onto the field, at the opening ceremony of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in England. As concerns raised by the Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga to the ICC regarding the above matter, The International Cricket Council Tournament Director Chris Tetley has written to SLC regretting the incident.”

Tetley had stated that the ICC will take this matter for discussion with the event management company who were entrusted to handle the opening ceremony.

Earlier Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa had criticised the Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews for not withdrawing from the tournament until an apology was tendered by the ICC. He had stressed that Sri Lankan cricketers have a responsibility to protest the integrity of the country no matter what situation they were confronted with.