President talks to Jay Shah over cricket crisis in Sri Lanka: Kanchana

BY YOHAN PERERA AND AJITH SIRIWARDANA

COLOMBO (Daily Mirror)- President Ranil Wickremesinghe had a discussion with Asian Cricket Council president Jay Shah on Thursday to discuss the cricket crisis in Sri Lanka, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said today.

He told this in Parliament while responding to a claim by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa alleging that Jay Shah's father is the right-hand man of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

"One must not politicise the cricket crisis using parliamentary privileges. Sri Lankan cricketers will not be able to play even division 1 cricket as a result of Sri Lanka's suspension from ICC," he said. 

Minister Harin Fernando said even ground boys cannot be paid their salaries because of the ICC suspension. Sri Lanka will lose the opportunity of hosting the Under 19 World Cup in January next year, he said.