Dayasiri Jayasekara, Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister, on Wednesday denied ordering the lowly-ranked national team to use witchcraft to score a shock two-match Test series win against Pakistan earlier this month. Jayasekara threatened to sue a local sorcerer for claiming that at his request, she cast a spell over the Pakistani team to ensure a Sri Lankan win.
“I told her that if she didn’t take down that post, I will complain to the police and also take legal action against her,” the minister told.
“I did not direct the captain or the team to get her services.”
In a Facebook post Ganga Zoiza claimed that on the minister’s orders skipper Dinesh Chandimal approached her with a request to cast a spell to ensure a win against Pakistan, who at the time were ranked above Sri Lanka.
“Chandimal came to me before leaving for the series against Pakistan in UAE,” she said on her Facebook page – where she also posted a photo of Chandimal at her home – after Sri Lanka won the Test series on October 6.
“My special thanks to minister Dayasiri Jayasekara for directing him to me. I will ensure a golden era for Sri Lanka cricket,” she wrote at the time.
By Wednesday she had removed both the post and the photo after the minister threatened to sue her.
