Colombo: Sri Lanka's senior cricketers, including record-breaking bowler Muttiah Muralitharan on Sunday slammed South Africa's decision to pull out of a tri-series citing security concerns.
"What they have done is wrong, it is not good for Sri Lankan cricket," the island nation's leading pace bowler Chaminda Vaas said.
Muralitharan said that South Africa's decision would affect Sri Lankan Board's economics.
"It was unfortunate that South Africa decided to go without considering the future of Sri Lankan cricket. Other countries like Pakistan (currently in England) have understood and decided to play cricket. Sri Lankan cricket is dependent on revenues from tours," the off-spinner who is world's second
highest wicket-taker said.
Kumar Sangakkara, who has been the fulcrum of Sri Lankan batting in recent times, lamented the fact that the South Africans chose to go despite guarantees from the highest authority in the land.
"They decided to go after taking into considerations that both the Sri Lankan Board and the government promised the best security cover," the wicketkeeper-batsman who featured in a world record partnership against the South Africans in the first Test, said.
"India and Sri Lanka are keen to play. If India is happy to stay, I can't see why South Africa are not," he said.
Comments
0 comment