The outspoken World Cup winning skipper for Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga in his recent press conference at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation headquarter requested the fans of national cricket team must stop behaving like the spectators of neighboring country India.
“I request our cricket lovers not to behave like Indian spectators,” Ranatunga was quoted as saying by Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror.
The startling comment of the 53-year-old Petroleum Minister Ranatunga didn’t sit well will with certain quarters of the fans from India, as he further stated the supporters should avoid crossing the limits while witnessing the gentleman’s game.
“We have a very good history and culture. Such misbehavior is not accepted in our culture and history,” Ranatunga added.
Pertinently, on Sunday (August 27), the Lankan fans were dejected when the hosts were on the brink of losing the third One-day International game of the five-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
“Such incidents should not be repeated. Sri Lankans love cricket and they feel sad when we lose a match,” Ranatunga maintained.
The enraged fans disrupted the match by throwing plastic bottles into the ground which further received massive criticism from the cricketing fraternity for the timid approach.
“We have made lots of sacrifices for cricket and those sacrifices had been made while losing lots of things. Every cricketer in our team are mentally depressed,” Ranatunga asserted.
The incident took place when India was 210 for four while chasing the meager target of 218 runs.
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However, after a brief pause, the match was resumed straight away following the intervention of the security personnel at the ground.
Moreover, India clinched the game by six wickets with 29 balls to spare.
Ranatunga, who further batted for the calm approach in the stadium, has been grabbing the headlines after targeting the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) management for team’s poor display during the ongoing bilateral series against Virat Kohli-led side India.
Interestingly, Ranatunga, who has been at the forefront for Lankan cricket led the Lions lift 1996 World Cup title after thrashing Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Earlier India whitewashed the hosts by 3-0 in the three-match Seagram’s Royal Stag Test series, as the Men in Blue are now having an unassailable lead ( 3-0), in the 50-over format with two to go.
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Coming to the conclusion, the depleted Lanka will now be led by the third skipper in the ongoing ODI series, as the fourth ODI will be played on Thursday (August 31) at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the final ODI is scheduled for September 3.