Who tried to sabotage LPL?

Ravin Wickremaratne

Sri Lanka Cricket vice president and tournament director of the concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) Ravin Wickremaratne dropped a bombshell last week which largely went unnoticed by many.

Talking to Roshan Abeysinghe the host of a television talk show titled “Straight Drive” at Ada Derena, the LPL director Wickremaratne said: “An official who sat with us holding a high post tried to sabotage the LPL but he did not succeed and the successful conclusion of the LPL was a fitting reply to him.

“He made telephone calls to team owners and buyers saying don’t invest your money on the LPL, it will never be played. So don’t waste your money”

When pressed by Abeysinghe to reveal who he was, Wickremaratne declined.

Even without naming the detractor, Wickremaratne said that he will take responsibility for making such a statement.

But the fear now is that the country may never be able to see who the un-named ghost or saboteur was.

Sri Lankan public figures are extremely good at making accusations not revealing names which some analysts say is done merely to either divert attention from other pressing factors or gain some image mileage through the media.

But it is also a well known fact that Sri Lanka Cricket is one of the most politicized public institutions in the country with two factions always on the look out for positions given its financial and influential dealings at international level.