SL team returns home, chief selector blames external conspiracy for poor WC show

COLOMBO: Chief Selector Pramodaya Wickramasinghe on Friday alleged that Sri Lanka's disastrous show at the ongoing ODI World Cup was a result "of a conspiracy from outside".

The Sri Lankan cricket team returned home early Friday morning from India after their five-wicket loss in the last group stage match against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Pressed for reasons for the poor performance, Wickramasingha, a member of the World Cup-winning 1996 team, said, "Give me two days to disclose everything about it. This was the result of a conspiracy from outside." "It is very sad, I am taking responsibility,” he told reporters at the airport.

Sri Lanka recorded their worst World Cup performance since 1992, winning only two of their nine games.

The former champions were marred by a series of injuries, warranting replacements outside the original squad. That even led to a change of captaincy mid tournament.

Their disastrous show against India, where they were all out for 56, triggered a backlash at home.

The sports minister then fired the governing body, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) which was then reinstated by the court of appeal, thus further deepening the crisis situation.

On Thursday, a joint government and opposition resolution in parliament demanded the resignation of the SLC's management.

The government, which is split over the minister's decision to sack the SLC board of management, came out with a report, recommending a brand new constitution for the governing body with a new voting structure to appoint office bearers.