The former ‘Messiah’s‘ Of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) Have made it sure that Lasith Malinga must not represent national team again. And, Malinga, Sri Lanka’s most iconic shorter formats bowler, has made it clear that until he feels he has nothing more to contribute to his motherland, he won’t give up. In this scenario, it has become the biggest mystery of Sri Lanka Cricket!
It has become a pattern Now! Whenever Sri Lanka Announces a T20 Squad, Sri Lanka Cricket fans search just one name there : Lasith Malinga. Unfortunately, Malinga has not represented Sri Lanka since August last year, when he exposed the ‘Messiah’s’ Of the game in the Island!
An outspoken Malinga, who believes that Cricket must be played in right spirit, raised questions against SLC ‘Mysterious Policy’ to prepare wickets more suited for the touring teams instead of home side. Thilanga Sumathipala, the self-claimed God of Sri Lanka was the board President at that time and his closest friend Dayasiri Jayasekara was Sports Minister.
Malinga exposed the truth, however SLC couldn’t cope with his outbursts! Rest is the history, as Sumathipala brought Graeme Labrooy as a Cheif selectors, who is still dancing on ‘Bosses’ tunes and following their instructions to not allow Malinga to play for Sri Lanka again!
Sumathipala has ‘officially’ been discarded from the SLC. Dayasiri has forgotten the cricket and is looking to revive his political career at any cost after being thrown out as Sports Minister. However, Graeme Labrooy is still there, and still following the orders!
So, obviously, the situation has remained the same.
On August 8, Sri Lanka announced the squad for One-Off T20 against South Africa. Malinga’s name was not there, even after he showed good form in recently concluded Canada T20 league.
However, Malinga is still in no mood to give up!
“I have no plans to retire until I feels that I can’t contribute. I will keep playing and will keep dreaming to play for my motherland” Malinga said on August 10.
The passion is still there! The hunger to succeed is still there. And, he is proving himself as well, by taking loads of wickets. Few months ago, Labrooy asked him to play domestic cricket to prove the form and fitness before the Nidahas Trophy. Malinga proved both by becoming the highest wicket taker in the domestic T20 league. Still, he couldn’t find a place in the Nidahas trophy squad. Now, Labrooy has ignored him once again for the South Africa ODI.
Still, Malinga doesn’t know who is stopping him from playing for Sri Lanka!
“To be honest, I don’t know, who is doing all these. I don’t know much about politics, I only knows about playing cricket and taking wickets. And I will keep doing this ” he said on August 10.
Malinga doesn’t know maybe who are stopping him, but many others knows. When, he walked into R. Premadasa in the last week of December 2017, to meet newly appointed Coach Chandika Hathurusingha and bowled in nets to convince him, few miles away, three ExCo members were laughing and saying “He doesn’t know that his fate has already been decided.”
Graeme Labrooy is just following those ‘orders’ about Malinga’s Fate!
