header banner

Sangakkara in trouble after wowing MCC

alt=
By No Author
COLOMBO, July 5: Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara is in hot water after his highly acclaimed lecture at Lord´s, where he criticised what he alleged was a corrupt and politicised cricket administration at home.



Sangakkara received a standing ovation after his outspoken remarks but they ruffled feathers back home in Sri Lanka, where sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage ordered an investigation into the speech.[break]



"Sangakkara’s lecture at MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) seems to have disturbed a hornet’s nest," the state-run Lankapuvath news agency said.



The minister ordered Sri Lanka Cricket to make a report on Monday´s speech, it added. "Sangakkara is likely to be called to explain," the agency said.



The star´s controversial claims came just days after Sri Lanka´s sports minister said he had forced the national cricket board committee to step down following allegations of financial mismanagement.



In his speech, Sangakkara welcomed the International Cricket Council (ICC) directive requiring all national boards to be elected without political interference.



"We have to aspire to better administration," said Sangakkara.



"The administration needs to adopt the same values enshrined by the team over the years: integrity, transparency, commitment and discipline."



He said power games among cricket administrators, as well as board politics, had triggered rifts, ill feeling and distrust among key players.



He quit the captaincy after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India.



Sangakkara, 33, became the youngest man to deliver the Cowdrey Lecture at MCC, which owns Lord´s, the self-styled "home of cricket" in northwest London.



The lecture was inaugurated in 2001 in memory of the late former England captain Colin Cowdrey.



Last week, the ICC gave all member boards until its next meeting in June 2012 to implement the new board ruling and a further 12 months -- to June 2013 -- before any sanctions will be considered.



Related story

PM Dahal joins MCC CEO Albright to celebrate the launch of the...

Related Stories
OPINION

Antics of MCC critics

MCC_20200120091300_20201101180304.jpg
Editorial

Bungling on MCC

Bungling on MCC
ECONOMY

MCC acknowledges 12-point interpretative declarati...

MCC_20200120091300_20201101180304.jpg
OPINION

MCC, BRI and The Game Theory: Nepal’s Quest for Eq...

273228010_2244778249002606_747741541920141602_n_20220208214322.jpg
POLITICS

MCC expresses concern over the end of house sessio...

1621334719_MCC-2-1200x560_20210903134254.jpg