SL_MEET_ICC_REF_22JAN1996
SYDNEY, Sunday - Sri Lanka, whose tour of Australia has been beset with controversy, will meet with International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Graham Dowling in an attempt to soothe relations, captain Arjuna Ranatunga said on
22-Jan-1996
Monday 22, January 1996
Sri Lankans to meet with ICC referee
SYDNEY, Sunday - Sri Lanka, whose tour of Australia has been
beset with controversy, will meet with International Cricket
Council (ICC) match referee Graham Dowling in an attempt to
soothe relations, captain Arjuna Ranatunga said on Sunday.
The Sri Lankans were determined to "iron out`` a number of issues
in the aftermath of an ill-tempered World Series final defeat by
Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
"There were a lot of incidents and unnecessary things that happened but I can`t tell you what has happened on the field,`` said
Ranatunga, referring to a number of heated exchanges between the
players during Australia`s eight-run victory.
"It was very frustrating at times and we want to speak to the
match referee about it rather than having a controversy now,`` he
told reporters.
"We all know we`ve had enough controversies on this tour,`` said
Ranatunga, whose side`s heavy losses in the first two tests
against Australia were overshadowed by incidents on the field.
Sri Lanka were found guilty of ball tampering during their first
test defeat in Perth last month before being exonerated by the
ICC two weeks later.
In the second test in Melbourne, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan
was no-balled for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair,
casting a doubt over the bowler`s international career.
"We want to iron out a few things, not just from Saturday night
but there are so many other things from the whole tour,`` team
manager Duleep Mendis said before the tourists flew to Adelaide
for the third and final test against Australia, starting on
Thursday.
The Sri Lankan team management is hoping to present evidence in
support of Muralitharan at Tuesday`s meeting with Dowling and
Australian Cricket Board chief executive Graham Halbish.
During the World Series final, Ranatunga was clearly furious at
initially being refused a runner by Australian umpire Steve Randell.
The left-handed batsman then clashed with Australia wicketkeeper
Ian Healy over the incident.
Earlier in the Sri Lankan innings, Randell asked Australia captain Mark Taylor to speak to Glenn McGrath after the lanky fast
bowler blocked the path of Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya as
he ran between the wickets.
The tension between the two sides became evident at the postmatch award ceremony when Taylor approached several Sri Lankan
players to shake hands only to be largely ignored.
"Arjuna (Ranatunga) shook hands, Aravinda de Silva didn`t... I
got the feeling a few of them didn`t want to shake my hand so I
walked away,`` Taylor said later.
"I was disappointed with their response but obviously they were
disappointed they lost.``
He said Sri Lanka`s problems on the tour had nothing to do with
the Australian cricket team. "I hope people around the world,
especially in Sri Lanka, see that.``
Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services