‘Ex-cricketers are not talking at all’: Arjuna Ranatunga

Arjuna Ranatunga at his Colombo office

Arjuna Ranatunga has lost a tremendous amount of weight, to the point of being unrecognisable. However, he has not shed an inch of his straight-talking self. Sri Lanka's 1996 ODI World Cup-winning captain was amazed at how a reserve day was granted for the second India v Pakistan game in the ongoing Asia Cup, but not for other games in this rain-ravaged tournament. Ranatunga, 59, was equally astounded over fellow former players across Asia choosing to zip their lips when it came to slamming perceived preferential treatment to the big-ticket fixture.

"The cricketers are not talking at all. Why was a reserve day only given for the India-Pakistan game? Only [former India fast bowler] Venkatesh Prasad spoke against this. I am not surprised though. I have been a controversial cricketer since birth, so I am not bothered about ICC [International Cricket Council] or SLC [Sri Lanka Cricket]," who he slammed for, "not thinking right and taking progressive measures." Ranatunga amassed 7,456 runs in 269 ODIs, averaging 35.84. In the 1996 World Cup, he scored 241 runs in six matches.

Also Read: Cricket enthusiasts hold their breath for Team India in Asia Cup final

The left-handed batsman also expressed his thoughts on India's World Cup squad. "Two spinners [Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel]… I won't call them top-class. They are utility cricketers. Ravichandran Ashwin should have been in the team. In his absence, there will be a lot of pressure on Kuldeep Yadav. It looks like India are planning to play with three medium pacers; days have surely changed," he said. Speaking about young Indian batsman Shubman Gill, Ranatunga said, "I like Gill since he plays with a straight bat even in limited overs games."