Chennai: Protests in Tamil Nadu against the participation of Sri Lankan players in the Indian Premier League have drawn sharp reactions. Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has said that politics is ruining ties between India and Sri Lanka. He said Sri Lankan players should stay away if they're not welcome and that they have all the right to boycott the Indian Premier League.
Speaking to CNN-IBN, Ranatunga said, "Politics between Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi is most unfortunate. Jaya and Karuna are trying to do vote bank politics. Sri Lankan players should not consider playing for money, but should have some pride and pull out of IPL. Sports should not be dragged into politics."
On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board gave a go ahead to its players to participate in the IPL. In a statement to the media, the criket board announced that the No Objection Certificates issued to the players will be restricted to excluding their players from appearing at any venue inside Tamil Nadu.
The board also made it clear that the restriction would be applied if and when the players intend to play at all. The Sri Lankan cricket board remained apprehensive about the safety of Lankan players in India during the tournament. Board Secretary Nishanth Ranatunga said the final decision would be that of the players....
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07:55 AM, Mar 28, 2013
Talking to CNN-IBN's Editor-in-Chief, Rajdeep Sardesai, Ranatunga said, "It is a sad day for cricket in general. I personally feel South Indian politicians are drying to make their vote base for the upcoming elections. I think they should not drag sports into their political agenda. It's unfortunate that one area in India has refused to entertain Sri Lanka cricketers for the IPL organised by a private company." ...
11:50 PM, Mar 27, 2013
Colombo: Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga on Wednesday slammed the decision of the cricket Board and government to allow Sri Lankan players to participate in the IPL as an endorsement of human rights abuse allegations against Sri Lanka. "What most people seem to ignore is that both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi are wanting to stop Sri Lankans playing in Tamil Nadu because they accuse Sri Lanka of human rights violations....
09:49 PM, Mar 27, 2013
Ranatunga feels that Pakistan needs to prepare a comprehensive security plan and discuss it with the ICC and its member boards. ...
06:31 PM, Mar 03, 2013
Ranatunga, who guided Sri Lanka to their first and only World Cup title in 1996, said Tendulkar still has a lot of cricket left in him. ...
10:41 AM, Feb 22, 2013
Sri Lanka's former World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga said he will decide by next week whether he will contest for president of the Cricket Board or not. ...
02:05 PM, Feb 20, 2013
Sri Lanka's World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has applauded the country's women's world cup team, stating that they were an example for their male counterparts. ...
02:38 PM, Feb 07, 2013
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga said he and his family have been following Sathya Sai Baba for 20 years. ...
11:45 AM, Apr 24, 2011
