Thisara asks SLC to intervene after squabble with Malinga’s wife

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera has raised questions about the ODI team’s leadership with Sri Lanka Cricket in the aftermath of a social media beef between him and captain Lasith Malinga’s wife.

He has also described the team as “a laughing stock to the whole country” because of the exchanges unfolding on social media, and asked that the board “intervene”.

Thisara, a former limited-overs captain himself, had ostensibly been the target of a Facebook post made by Malinga’s wife, Tanya Perera, early this month, in which she appeared to have alleged that Thisara had gone to meet the country’s new sports minister in an attempt to secure his place in the national side.

Thisara then took to Facebook to defend himself, pointing to his excellent ODI record in 2018. Then, a few weeks later, following what he claimed was another post targeting him, he has taken the step of writing a letter to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.

Excerpts of the letter are as follows: “When these kinds of accusations are made by the incumbent captain’s wife on social media, it is hard to prevent the general public from believing and further slandering me in various ways.

“We have become the laughing stock of a whole country all because of one person’s personal vendetta. This is not something to be taken lightly, especially at a time like this. I humbly request SLC to intervene and help us overcome our difference.”