Lankan Signature campaign against Yardley backfires

COLOMBO, JULY 15: A move by some senior Sri Lankan cricketers to obtain signatures from their team-mates in order to nullify allegations ...

COLOMBO, JULY 15: A move by some senior Sri Lankan cricketers to obtain signatures from their team-mates in order to nullify allegations made by former cricket coach Bruce Yardley about ill-treatment of players, has backfired, media reports here said.

According to The Daily Mirror, the signatures were to be presented at a media panel discussion scheduled for tonight in which sacked skipper Arjuna Ranatunga would be speaking publicly for the first time after he was removed from captaincy of the team which gave a dismal performance at the World Cup in England. The panel discussion is to be telecast live by a private channel.

The move to enlist the signatures had to be abandoned as several members representing Sri Lanka refused to sign. A few others had not wished to go against the people behind the document, the report said.

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Yardley, during a press interview in Australia last week, charged that Ranatunga and his former deputy Aravinda de Silva had treated members of the team as“servants.”

Yardley, a former Australian off-spin bowler, was sacked as coach of the Lankan team two years ago. He claimed his sacking was the result of his view aired two years ago that Sanath Jaysuriya should replace Ranatunga as captain.

At a subsequent press conference here on Monday, Jayasuriya declined to comment on Yardley’s remarks saying he (Jayasuriya) also read such news and he was only looking forward to the future.