Team Sri Lanka has had a disastrous time at the Asia Cup 2018, as the five-time champions got knocked out of the tournament. Post this, the Sri Lankan cricket board sacked Angelo Mathews from captaincy and named Dinesh Chandimal as the new skipper of the team. Little did they know that this would invite a reaction from the former skipper as he wrote a letter to the board stating that it was unfair on their part to make him solely responsible for the team’s performance at Asia’s flagship event. Now, former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene reacted to the fiasco and said that one should refrain from washing dirty laundry in public. Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka. 

Jayawardene took to Twitter and wrote, “What happened in the last few days @OfficialSLC and to respond is tough. One thing is you should never wash ur dirty laundry in public. Emotional decision are not all ways correct. Best is to think what is best for SL cricket and make none emotional decisions.”

Angelo Mathews in a letter to the Sri Lankan board wrote, “I’m willing to take part of the blame but at the same time, feel betrayed and let down if the blame is solely put on me. As you know all decisions are taken tough a mutual understanding with Selectors and the Head Coach. And though I do not agree with the reasoning that the losses should be carried single-handedly to the Captaincy, I however eagerly and wholeheartedly respect the request of the selection committee and the head coach asking me to step down and do so with immediate effect.”

He also went on to write that he had no intentions to run away or quit especially because the World Cup 2019 is just a dozen of games away. “I wish to put it on record that though Sri Lanka had suffered these heavy defeats in the Asia Cup, which is shocking to say the least, especially in the backdrop where we had a reasonable series against South Africa, I had no intention of quitting and running away from the issues at hand especially owing to the World Cup being a dozen games away.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2018 12:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).