Arjuna Ranatunga, a former captain of Sri Lanka, has lambasted the current national cricket team, claiming that although the players are talented, they lack the intellect and humility to concede loss with grace. Ranatunga stressed that contemporary athletes frequently lack the discipline and mentality necessary to regularly perform at the international level when speaking to a gathering of students.
Additionally, he highlighted the function of cricket administration, implying that errors and poor leadership on the part of officials are impacting the team’s success. The 1996 World Cup-winning side and the present squad were compared by Ranatunga, who pointed out that the former players played with discipline, focus, and a sense of duty to the country. Ranatunga went on to condemn the contemporary focus on financial gain, advising athletes to put their country’s representation and meticulous, deliberate play above all else.
People who learn are able to make decisions about how to face the ball, bowl, and catch. If a child’s parents are acting improperly, we cannot blame them. This also holds true for Sri Lankan cricket.
For a number of years, I have been voicing these concerns,” Ranatunga stated, as cited by The Daily Mirror.
“Today’s players have greater talent. But when they lose, they need to be disciplined, committed, and ashamed. I stayed in the dressing room the entire time I lost a match. It’s all about money these days. Players will eventually make money if they concentrate on playing good cricket for ten or twelve years. That’s the proper strategy,” he said.
The former legend noted that the Sri Lankan team is not playing well right now. They had to leave the Asia Cup 2025 early after losing all three of their Super Four games. An ODI series consisting of three matches ensued, during which they were thoroughly humiliated. Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and hosts Pakistan are currently at the bottom of the points table in the ongoing Pakistan T20I tri-series, underscoring a persistent decline in performance across formats.
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