Sri Lanka cricket crisis explodes as Angelo Mathews & Muralitharan squabble over contracts

Amid team's poor run, crisis in Sri Lankan cricket escalated after its seniormost player Angelo Maws and Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne hit out at spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan. Maws and Karunaratne were left out of  squ to play India in three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games after y were excluded from  list of new performance-related contracts which cut  fees of players by up to 40 per cent. Some or members of national team who were also at loggerhes with country's cricket board since May finally signed contracts after an ultimatum. 

In an interview with Hiru TV last week, Muralitharan h held Maws, Karunaratne and two or players responsible for initiating entire contract tussle and attributed Sri Lanka's dismal performance to disturbed team environment. dressing a joint letter to him on July 17, y refuted notion that only issue in contracts was money. As reported by portal Island Cricket, it stressed that Muralitharan's comments were below acceptable standards of social norms and "unprofessional".

letter stated, "We feel that you were not properly informed of correct sequence of events, or was possibly given wrong information. Possibly by parties who wish to create a rift between players and ministration and create disharmony. So, from start of this program, you seemingly showed a great degree of dissatisfaction and hatred against entire team and us, where we were referred to by name."

Maws and Karunaratne ded, "It is also unfortunate that you were not aware that all players at this instance, stood also for 14 players who were not afforded contracts like Nuwan Preep, Aviska Fernando, Dilruwan Perera, Asitha Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksha, and a few ors who h done reasonably well during last two years. Avishka Fernando was one of highest run-scorers in ODI’s in material period. Is it fair for you to state, that no contract should be awarded to any player because y asked for transparency?" 

India eyes series win

fortunes of Sri Lankan cricket team have been grually declining which is evident from fact that it has lost 61 ODIs since July 2016 while winning only 26 ODIs in same period. In last few years, captain of ODI side has also been regularly changed with Maws, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Karunaratne, Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka functioning in this capacity. On Tuesday, India is seeking to win series after securing a thumping victory in first ODI.