Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga says that if the current situation with the Sri Lanka cricket team continues, they would stand to lose the 2019 cricket World Cup.

“ICC has said that the Sri Lanka team qualified to the ICC World Cup in 2019, but it was not because of their performance, but because of their luck. It’s still uncertain whether Sri Lanka will be able to go to second round,” the Minister told reporters at a meeting at the Petroleum Resources Ministry today.

The Minister also said he didn’t think Sri Lanka would do well against the English players – “I don’t underestimate our cricketers,” the Minister said.  “But even if there are skillful cricketers there isn’t a skillful administration to administer the cricket team,” he said.

“My earlier predictions were correct. Now I predict that if the current situation continues we will be ruined in World Cup in 2019. The 2019 World Cup will be held in England, which is not an easy place for us to play. Even though we had a good team in 1990, but we could not enter in to the second round because it was held in England,” he further said.

He said that although the current cricket administrators were well versed in horse racing he didn’t think they knew how to administer cricket – “Everyone knows Sri Lanka cricket is administered by gamblers except Minister of Sports,” he said sarcastically.

“Even though I have informed this to the President, the Prime Minister and Minister of Sports, they have not provided a solution yet,” he said.