Probe alleged underhand deals by Sri Lanka Cricket – SJB in parliament

by Saman Indrajith 

Main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) called on President Ranil Wickremeisnghe in parliament to probe alleged underhand deals by local cricket officials to deprive Sri Lanka of hosting the Asia Cup 2022 tournament which could have earned at least 50 million US dollars to the forex-starved government coffers.

Participating in the debate on interim budget proposals presented to the House by President Wickremesinghe, SJB Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha on Wednesday said that Sri Lanka Cricket officials made the way for Sri Lanka losing host status of the tournament to Dubai. “We could have earned at least $ 50 million if we hosted the tournament now we are watching on TV. They sold that opportunity for $ 6.5 million. What should have been done was to take the opportunity we got to host the matches here. If we had hosted the tournament we could have attracted many cricket fans and they would spend dollars from the air ticket, hotel revenue down to three wheeler fee to even a slice of pineapple from roadside vendors. Now, Minister Harin Fernando puts up banners stating ‘visit Sri Lanka’. If we had hosted the matches, with the inflow of tourists we could have proven that the tourism industry can go on despite the crises in other sectors. The Australian team played here at a time when the political crisis was at its heights. Hosting the tournament would have been a successful campaign to boost tourism and it would have been much more effective than putting up sign boards in stadiums in Dubai,” Bandara said.

Bandara said that he had been raising the issues of corruption and frauds of Sri Lanka Cricket officials time to time but swindling of public funds by various means still continues. “We call on President Wickremesinghe to investigate the latest loss caused by these officials,” the MP said.