Ranatunga set to head Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga is tipped to
head the country’s cricket administration, government sources told AFP
on Thursday.
Ranatunga, 44, who is a ruling party legislator, could take over as
early as Friday when parliament meets for a crucial vote on President
Mahinda Rajapakse’s budget for 2008.
Ranatunga was regarded as one of the disgruntled legislators who
wanted to oppose the budget at the first vote on November 19, but was
persuaded by his father, a senior member of the ruling party, to vote in
favour of it.
A top sports ministry official confirmed the move to appoint
Ranatunga as the country’s cricket chief was being discussed.
“The move is being currently discussed, although there is no finality
on the issue,” sports ministry’s Kapila Bamunuarachchi told AFP.
Ranatunga became a legendary figure in Sri Lanka after leading the
squad to their lone World Cup triumph in 1996. He has been critical of
the current cricket administration and blames it for the dwindling of
Sri Lanka’s talent and reserve stock to replace the ageing national
team.
Ranatunga played 93 Tests and 269 one-day internationals in an
18-year career that ended in August 2000.
AFP |