Sri Lanka cricket team has hit a new low in their performance during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, suffering elimination after a loss to Bangladesh. Despite being crowned champions in the 1996 World Cup, they managed to secure victory in only two out of eight matches, experiencing significant defeats against India on two occasions within the last two months.
During their one of the most recent encounter with India in the World Cup, Sri Lanka found themselves dismissed for a mere 55 runs, leading to a staggering 302-run defeat.
In a surprising turn of events, Sri Lankan Member of Parliament, Wimal Weerawansa, has made allegations against Mahela Jayawardene, accusing him of influencing captain Kusal Mendis to choose to bowl first on a batting-friendly Wankhede pitch when facing India.
Weerawansa further claimed that even Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, was taken aback by Mendis’s decision. He raised concerns about the influence of India on the ICC’s decision-making process, suggesting that the host nation has a significant say in such matters.
Sri Lankan MP Wimal Weerawansa in Parliament- That day after winning the toss against India, It’s @MahelaJay who told Sri Lankan captain to bowl first, Even Indian Captain was shocked as why he opted to bowl first, even they were eager to bat first on that pitch, ICC is ruled by… pic.twitter.com/wDl5MdgOKu
— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) November 8, 2023
Notably, the Sri Lankan cricket board recently went through a period of upheaval when all its members were initially dismissed, only for the court to subsequently overturn that decision.
Meanwhile, the Lankan Lions will be in action today in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against the New Zealand cricket team in the match number 41 of the World Cup in Bengaluru. This will be the last league match for both the teams and while Sri Lanka is already out of the play for the qualification for the semi-finals, New Zealand need a win to get close to semi-finals.
However, this match also holds an utmost importance for the Lankan team because they currently sit at 9th place in the points table, just ahead of Netherlands, but need to finish in top 8 to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
