Arjuna Ranatunga wants Sri Lanka players to return and join protests

Former Sri Lankan cricketer and minister Arjuna Ranatunga has urged the Lankan players at the IPL 2022 to leave the tournament, and return to their home country for a while in order to support the public going through the harsh situation. Sri Lanka is witnessing the worst-ever economic crisis, and as a result, has a scarcity of food and fuel which is causing a direct effect on the locals.

Recently, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had penned down their thoughts and support for the residents of the country, requesting the government to take immediate action to resolve the situation. The two are associated with Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians respectively.

“I really don’t know but there are some cricketers who are lavishly playing in the IPL and haven’t spoken about their country. Unfortunately, people are scared to speak against the government. These cricketers are also working for the cricket board under the ministry and they are trying to protect their jobs. But now they have to take a step as some of the young cricketers also came forward and gave statements in support of the protest,” Ranatunga was quoted by NDTV Sports.

Ranatunga feels the players should prioritize their country over IPL

He also felt that the players should prioritize their country over IPL with Sri Lanka suffering a lot at the moment. The former World Cup-winning captain also added that one should have guts to come forward and speak against the injustice happening. “When something is going wrong, you should have the guts to come out and speak against it, without thinking about your business. People ask me why I am not in the protests. It’s just that I have been into politics for the last 19 years and this is not a political issue. So far, none of the political parties and politicians have got into the protests and that’s the biggest strength of the people of this country,” he added.

Even players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa had come forward to show their support for the locals. The two are playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings respectively.

“I am sure you all know who are the players, playing in the IPL. I don’t want to mention but I would want them to leave their job for a week and come in support of the protests,” said Ranatunga, without pointing out any specific player.