Petroleum Resources Development Minister and former World Cup cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga has reacted strongly to Sri Lanka’s 3-0 defeat to India, laying blame with the nation’s apex cricket management body and calling for the resignation of it’s President.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon the Petroleum Resources Development Minister said bitterly ‘cricket management has destroyed the sport,’ and promised to write a strongly worded letter to both the President and the Prime Minister apprising them of the situation.

“I can’t blame the cricketers,” the Minister said, “They are demotivated - the fault lies with these ‘tie-coat-wearing, book-keeping’ administrators who don’t know what they are doing and are messing with the sport,” the Minister said.

He said the Minister entrusted with Sports must be ‘firm’ with the cricket administrative body and ensure the right decision and made at the right time, warning that things would get much worse if it were allowed to proceed in this manner.

The Petroleum Resources Development Minister also called for the resignation of Sri Lanka Cricket President Thilanga Sumathipala: ‘Not too long ago, he (Sumathipala) called for the resignation of Ravi Karunanyake,” the Minister said.

“Karunanayake resigned in the face of corruption charges. Now we are asking that he (Sumathipala) resign in the face of this comprehensive defeat at the hands of the Indians,” the Petroleum Resources Development Minister said.

The Minister further said that the current government, despite being a ‘Yahapalanaya’ government, was ultimately responsible for the current downfall of cricket, as it had failed to take control of cricket’s administrative body.