Sanath Jayasuriya bashes fans for attacking Sri Lankan players

Amidst all the humiliations hurled towards Sri Lankan cricket, the national selection committee, headed by former Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya has resigned. Jayasuriya and his panel were on the receiving end of constant questions and abuses as their hand-picked players were not able to deliver reliable performances on the field. Not only the fans but former Lankan legends like Arjuna Ranatunga also heavily criticised Jayasuriya’s team selection policy.

The last nail in the coffin was injected by fans on the 3rd ODI between India and Sri Lanka when they acted like they had enough and expressed the anguish by disrupting the game. Bottles were thrown on the ground and this prompted Jayasuriya to not continue with his duties anymore. While the pain of the fans was understandable as they were witnessing a giant monument being turned into dust, but attacking their own players was not to the liking of the former skipper.

In his letter to the Sri Lankan sports minister, the 48-year-old has stated that it was painful to witness Lankan loyalists abusing and attacking their own players. “As a player who has represented the country at all levels, and as a former captain and current chairman of selectors, last Sunday’s incident at the grounds was the last straw. Cricket has been and will always be my life, so it was particularly painful to see our own fans attack our own players,” he wrote as per Cricbuzz.

“I acknowledge it has been a very disappointing year. However, just one year ago we beat Australia at home three-nil. This was an unforgettable moment. We have some very talented boys and I am sure in time they will take cricket to the heights that it once was,” he further added. The owner of over 100 ODI fifties was nostalgic when he stated: “The 1996 players always will think of the glory days with nostalgia. We go with our eyes full of tears but with our heads held high.”

Message to the fans

The departing national selection committee’s chairman also has something for the fans in his resignation letter. He has asked the fans to have faith in the players entrusted upon to deliver on the field. “To all the fans we say please have faith in the boys. They will deliver. To the boys we say: believe in your ability and believe in the fans. They will be with you ultimately. We believe we will keep to our vision and succeed as One team, One nation,” concluded the emotional Matara Mauler.