Look who’s thrown his weight behind Jayasuriya: Ranatunga

Lalith Kaluperuma, who was replaced by Asantha de Mel as selection panel chief last week, is understood to have informed Jayasuriya over his cellphone to write the letter so that he could ‘‘quit with dignity’’.

Another selector K M Nelson, sources said, played a key role in Jayasuriya’s ouster. Nelson, a noted renegade in Sri Lanka club circles, had earlier triggered the downfall of the far-sighted Board president Ana Punchehewa in the 1996 board elections two weeks after Sri Lanka won the World Cup.

Nelson had aligned himself with Kaluperuma when the former all-rounder was named chairman in March last year—Nelson became one of the four other selectors. Ironically, the man who they ousted then was De Mel.

Ranatunga, the former Captain Cool, was especially critical of the selectors during the Sri Lanka Test series in India last year, saying that the team missed Jayasuriya. Unfortunately, Jayasuriya dislocated his right shoulder three times last year and there was always a fitness concern during the limited overs series involving India last October.

Now Ranatunga and De Mel, a former Test swing and seam bowler, have come out strongly in favour of the Matara Mauler being sent to England should the current Test pairing of Michael Vandort and Upul Tharanga fail in the first Test starting at Lord’s tomorrow.

–trevor.chesterfield@expressindia.com