Disgruntled Sri Lanka cricket fans launched a campaign to shun their team on social media after they slumped to a dismal Twenty20 series drubbing in England. England recorded a thumping 89-run win at Southampton on Saturday to sweep the contests 3-0 — a fifth consecutive series defeat for Sri Lanka in the shortest format. As the hashtag #unfollowcricketers began to trend on Facebook on Sunday, thousands of fans boycotted the Facebook pages of vice-captain Kusal Mendis and opener Dhanushka Gunathilaka.
“Unfollow all these failed cricketers,” said Ahmed Inaamulhaq on Twitter. “Don’t let them have the social media attention if they can’t perform for the national team. They do not deserve massive fan bases.”
There was no immediate reaction from any of the senior players, but some observers posted that the latest performance in England was one of the team’s worst in three decades.
“I have been watching cricket matches since 1993 but I have never seen such a weak Sri Lankan cricket team,” sports reporter Manjula Basnayake said on Twitter. “They can’t hit the ball. #SLvENG.”
England’s 180 proved well beyond Sri Lanka, who were all out for 91 as left-arm quick David Willey took 3-27.
England and Sri Lanka meet again in the first of three one-day internationals at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, with the Sri Lanka batting set for another stiff test against the 50-over World Champions.
“We knew it was going to be a tough series coming into it, but our batting wasn’t up to the mark,” said Sri Lanka captain Kusal Perera.
Not only cricket fans, Sri Lanka’s most iconic captain Arjuna Ranatunga and legendary batsman Sanath Jayasuriya also showed their disappointment over slump of Sri Lanka cricket standard.
When asked in an interview with DD India about the recent struggles of Sri Lankan cricket team former world cup winning captain Ranatunga said administration is to be blamed.
‘Talent wise I feel we are a very talented cricketing nation, but these guys who are playing I personally feel their commitment and discipline is not good but if we get those things right I’m sure it won’t be very far that we will go to the top’ Arjuna said.
He added ‘we need to have a proper change, need a proper administration and proper management in the cricket team to discipline the cricketers and guide them properly’.
Jayasuriya, the ‘Matara Mauler’, who rewrote the rules of ODI cricket with his swashbuckling batting, cited that the situation is critical, and it need immediate measures to save Sri Lanka cricket.
“Very sad day for Sri Lankan cricket. The situation is critical. We need immediate measures to save cricket” Jayasuriya posted on his twitter handle.
