Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga on Friday slammed the island's sports leaders for agreeing to a tour by a "second-level" India side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ranatunga, 57, said the tour undermined the country's "dignity" as he attacked Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India's team led by Shikhar Dhawan arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday to prepare for the three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games that start July 13.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Top stars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were noted absentees. All are preparing for a Test series in England next month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The Indian squad that came to Sri Lanka is not their best, it is a second-level team," Ranatunga said. "Didn't our sports minister or cricket administrators know this?"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Sri Lanka may have gone down (in the rankings), but as a cricketing nation we have an identity, we have dignity, we should not be sending our best to play an Indian B team."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to its 1996 World Cup triumph, said the game's administration had deteriorated and called for a major clean-up to improve playing standards and skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said authorities had not considered the humiliation Sri Lankan players would suffer. According to Ranatunga, cricket leaders considered only the financial gains.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The secret behind agreeing to an Indian B team is TV rights," Ranatunga said. "The board wants to make money from this tournament even if it means pitching our players against a B team."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said the lack of discipline showed by some Sri Lankan players was also due to poor management.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Vice-captain Kusal Mendis, opener Danushka Gunathilaka, and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella were withdrawn from the current England tour after they violated the Covid-19 bio-secure bubble.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The trio are expected to be dropped from the India series.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2021\/07\/india-sending-a-b-team-is-a-humiliation-for-sri-lanka-says-arjuna-ranatunga.jpg", "alt_img": "Cricket Image for India Sending 'B Team' Is A Humiliation For Sri Lanka, Says Arjuna Ranatunga", "alt_title": "Arjuna Ranatunga", "image1": "", "video": "", "seo_title": "India Sending 'B Team' Is A Humiliation For Sri Lanka, Says Arjuna Ranatunga On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Arjuna Ranatunga on Friday slammed the island's sports leaders for agreeing to a tour by a \"second-level\" India side.\r\n\r\n", "seo_keywords": "India tour of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga", "tag": "", "tagging": "India tour of Sri Lanka,Arjuna Ranatunga,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": "0", "slug": "india-sending-b-team-is-a-humiliation-for-sri-lanka-says-arjuna-ranatunga", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": "0000-00-00", "ians_time": "00:00:00", "server_time": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "trash": "0", "view_count": "2095", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2021-07-02 13:41:57", "updated": "2021-07-02 13:42:15", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": "", "schedule_publish": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "news_keywords": "Arjuna Ranatunga, India, Sri Lanka, India B Team, Ranatunga, Sri Lanka Cricket ", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "21", "jio_date": "2021-07-02 13:41:57", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": "2021-07-02 13:41:57", "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/india-sending-b-team-is-a-humiliation-for-sri-lanka-says-arjuna-ranatunga-79043" }