Sri Lanka snub media duties after World Cup defeat
Sri Lanka are likely to be hit with an International Cricket Council sanction after failing to fulfil their media duties following Saturday’s damaging World Cup defeat against Australia.
Dimuth Karunaratne’s side were beaten by 87 runs at the Oval, leaving their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals hanging by a slender thread.
Sri Lanka skipper Karunaratne and other players from his team were due to face the press after the match in a media conference and ‘mixed zone’.
But they refused to attend the press briefings and are liable to face action from tournament organisers the ICC.
Asked if Sri Lanka would face any sanction, an ICC spokesman told reporters: “Yes. Sri Lanka have told us they don’t want to do it. The ICC will be speaking to them.”
Sri Lanka’s refusal to meet the media comes just days after their team manager Ashantha de Mel slammed the ICC’s treatment of the squad.
De Mel blasted the quality of pitches, practice facilities, transport and accommodation at the World Cup.
“This is a World Cup where the top ten countries are taking part and I feel that all the participants should be treated equally,” de Mel was quoted as saying by Sri Lankan newspaper Daily News.
De Mel also criticised Sri Lanka’s team bus, saying it was more cramped than the double-decker vehicles provided to other teams.
He blasted the net facilities at Cardiff as “unsatisfactory” and the squad’s hotel in Bristol, which lacked a swimming pool.
(AFP)
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why complaint if only the selectors had chosen Ajantha Mendis who recovered from injury a week ago we would have won this match
Dear Eng. Perera, We would have won this match if the Middle Order supported. Angelo, Thisara, Mendis failed again. Why we keep them in the field. Asantha de Mel is a fighter he has all the right to lodge a complaint about maltreatment of Sri Lanka. Cramped bus, Hotel with no-swimming pool, getting pitches continuously suiting the opponent (with more grass). ‘You have to Cry to get Milk!”
They should play “Gudu”.
Two separate issues and let us not get knickers in a twist. It is evident our boys did not dish out good skill/strategy/merit and so sadly they (we) lost. However, traditionally we Sri Lankans are know to be meek and the type that will take the “just give ’em anything, they will take and be happy” as our boys hardly ever complain about logistics, facilities, etc. like how the glamorous English and Aussie ‘white boys’ do wherever they go – so Asantha did the right thing to protest because it was evident that there was no equality in the treatment and facilities provided to the different teams by ICC.
Don’t waste your time spending 100 overs (aprox 6hrs) . Use that time for your own good.
#Dont watch cricket #SLSucks #SLCRICKETGOHOME
Oh the beautiful game of Cricket that we all Sri-lankans loved so much but sad to say its in the ICU and never know when it will breath its last, what will be the last words that will be spoken before an untimely death, will it be oh politicians you killed us or our boys never played well lets wait and see.