Sangakkara, Jayawardene apologise for unruly scenes during concert

Legendary Sri Lanka cricketers Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have apologised for ‘unruly scenes’ witnessed during an Enrique Iglesias concert in Colombo on December 20. The concert of the pop star was organised by Live Events, a company co-owned by the two former national cricketers.

Even though both Sangakkara and Jayawardene are in Australia playing the Big Bash, the two took to Facebook on Monday to issue an apology. A day earlier, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had said that “the organisers should be whipped” after reports that many women shed their underwear during the concert, part of the Spanish singer’s world tour called Love and Sex.

There were also reports that the event as a whole was mismanaged, with the event beginning after the scheduled start and other security-related issues. “We wish to apologise to all of you for your negative experience at the recently concluded Enrique Concert,” wrote Sangakkara on Facebook. “We were shocked and saddened to hear of the events that transpired.”

They did not directly refer to president Maithripala Sirisena’s criticism that intoxicated local women had thrown their bras at the singer and kissed and hugged him.

“I don’t advocate that these uncivilised women who removed their brassieres should be beaten with toxic stingray tails, but those who organised such an event should be,” the president said on Sunday. Tickets were bought by fans for 5,000 rupees to 50,000 rupees ($350) and the organisers are now planning to refund the same.