Government Regrets: Sri Lanka Extends Apology To Jay Shah For Ranatunga’s Remarks

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Government has formally apologized to Jay Shah, the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in response to the inappropriate comments made by former captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranatunga had made an unusual statement, blaming Jay Shah for the decline of Sri Lanka Cricket.

In a parliamentary session today, Ministers Harin Fernando and Kanchana Wijesekara expressed regret over the incident. They clarified that the responsibility for the issues within Sri Lankan cricket lies with the country’s administrators rather than external entities.

“We, as a government, extend our apologies to the Asian Cricket Council Chief, Jay Shah. It is incorrect to attribute the shortcomings of our institutions to the Asian Cricket Council Secretary or other countries,” stated Minister Wijesekera.

Meanwhile, Minister Harin Fernando, the Minister of Tourism, revealed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has initiated communication with Jay Shah to address the ban imposed on Sri Lanka Cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Expressing concern, Minister Fernando warned about the adverse consequences the ICC ban could have on the country, especially affecting the upcoming under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled for January of the following year.

“If the ICC ban is not lifted, Sri Lanka will face difficulties in hosting the tournament, and the country will not benefit financially from this cricket event,” he emphasized.

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