Susantha Jayawardena
Sri Lankan cricketers Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne have written a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Technical Committe member Muttiah Muralitharan replying to several allegations levelled against them during a TV talk show earlier this week.
The copy of the full letter obtained by NewsWire is as follows.
17th July 2021
Dear Murali Aiya,
We write to you in the setting where you appeared on a National TV Channel and stated facts on the contract issue, which were incorrect. Unfortunately, and sadly, being your fellow teammates, the context of the contract issue which was portrayed to the public was untrue.
It is unfair and untrue that you state that the issue in the contracts was purely money.
We humbly reject and deny such accusations.
We feel that you were not properly informed of the correct sequence of events, or was possibly given wrong information.
Possibly by parties who wish to create a rift between the players and the administration and create disharmony. So, from the start of this program, you seemingly showed a great degree of dissatisfaction and hatred against the entire team and us, where we were referred to by name.
Being a member of the Cricketing Committee, your good self, continuously harping on failures of players could be quite detrimental to the players morale. Easily, such could have been done at meetings rather than on a Live TV program. Legends who played the game in your stature, have done gigantic deeds on field. Simple acts done off field, especially in times like this, when Sri Lanka Cricket needs a great like you, could and would go a long way for the entire nation.
Murali has no shame or ethical behavior. He has become a slave for the Rajapaksa family.
Why Sri Lankans make everything political? Is there no life beyond politics? Do you see everyone in Green or Red or Blue colours?
People have different personalities. Murali is known to yap. He too might have weaknesses. But if we as Sri Lankan disrespect our players for weaknesses that “we all have”. No one from from the outside will value our players.