Former cricketer turned politician Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka on Tuesday appealed to all Sri Lankan players playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to return home. The island country is battling with the worst form of economic crisis and the political instability that has arisen from it. Arjuna Ranatunga urged SL players to come and stand in support of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crisis, affecting a large number of people in the country due to a lack of food and fuel. The economy has been in a free fall since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s foreign reserves have been falling since the Corona lockdown, with a large part of its reserves dependent on tourism.
“I don’t really know but there are some cricketers who are playing in IPL and they are not talking in support of their country. Unfortunately, people are afraid to speak against the government. These cricketers are also working for the cricket board. The ministry is making more efforts to save their jobs. But now they have to take a step as some young cricketers also came forward and gave statements in support of the protest,” Arjuna Ranatunga told ANI.
“When something is going wrong, you must have the courage to come out and speak out against it without thinking about your business. Arjuna said.
“I am sure you all know who are the players who play in IPL. I don’t want to mention but I want them to quit their jobs for a week and come out in support of the protest,”
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange crunch, which has affected its ability to import food and fuel. The shortage of essential commodities fuel and food has forced Sri Lankans to seek aid from friendly countries. The economic situation has led to massive protests against the ruling dispensation of Sri Lanka.
Ranatunga played for Sri Lanka during the times of players like Sadanand Vishwanath, Ravi Shastri, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Bharat Arun who used to play for the Indian team. Arjuna had been the Minister of Ports and shipping and left his office in 2017.
