Sri Lanka Cricket Clarifies Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera’s World Cup Squad Status in Official Statement on Friday (November 24).Both players were initially considered for the World Cup squad, with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) expressing optimism about their recovery for the later stages of the tournament. However, the surprise exclusion of both from the final squad raised eyebrows, especially as they were part of the provisional squad.

Subsequently, Chameera was brought in as an injury replacement for Lahiru Kumara. The recent statement from SLC sheds light on the behind-the-scenes actions during the World Cup squad selection. According to the released statement, SLC had intended to include both Hasaranga and Chameera but faced resistance from the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Allegations Against the Ministry of Sports:

The statement revealed, “Following the selection meeting, on the same day, Sri Lanka Cricket sent the squad seeking approval of the National Sports Selection Committee, which comes under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. In response, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs sent a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket on September 26, 2023, seeking medical clearance to approve the inclusion of Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, and Dilshan Madushanka.”

SLC had planned to send the injured players to India with the intention of playing them at a later stage in the tournament after their recovery. However, this plan was thwarted by the Sri Lankan ministry, which insisted on medical clearance for the players.

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In addition to addressing the squad selection issue, Sri Lanka Cricket accused the Ministry of Sports of providing misleading information about the utilization of the National Sports Fund. The release stated discrepancies between the documents obtained by SLC and the media release by the ministry, pointing out that the ministry had spent money on 67 activities instead of the 47 mentioned in their media release on November 13, 2023.