Writing to SLC Director Cricket Operations Carlton Bernardus, world’s number one ranked Test cricketer alleges that a letter from the National Selection Committee pertaining to his release to play Champions League was suppressed and then attempts were made to tarnish his image.
"All I can deduce is that you and all concerned including Nishantha Ranatunga and Mahindananda Aluthgamage tried to intentionally cause me embarrassment and tarnish my reputation in the public arena as part of a shameful and corrupt attempt. This is reprehensible but not unexpected from characters such as they," Sangakkara says is his e-mail dated 21st January.
"How did Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga call and address a press conference on the matter to make a statement to the press and tv on the matter?"
"Why did the Secretary try to intentionally and publically cause embarrassment to me and to unethically put pressure on me by saying I had to choose between money or playing for the country when it came to the Champions League when no such choice or question arose," Sangakkara asks in his e-mail.
"The conduct in this matter of the Secretary of the board Nishantha Ranatunga and the Sports Minister was reprehensible, bias and shameful," Sangakkara states further in another e-mail sent to Bernardus on 10th January 2015.
The incident Sangakkara refers to took place prior to the Champions League in 2013 when he had to choose to play for the Sri Lankan franchise instead of Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise which he was captaining.
Sangakkara was left with Hobson’s Choice when public opinion was created by SLC officials that he required to play for the local team putting him in a very uncomfortable position.
Sangakkara had a running battle with the establishment during his captaincy and stepped down immediately after the 2011 World Cup. His stunning speech at Lord’s delivering the Cowdrey Lecture, a mere few months after stepping down from captaincy won him many admirers, but the country’s Sports Minister wanted the speech probed.
Sangakkara is currently in New Zealand taking part in the seven match ODI series against the Kiwis.
