Board warns Malinga over behaviour

Lasith Malinga

Colombo, March 10 (IANS): The Sri Lankan cricket board Sunday said it has decided to censure pacer Lasith Malinga over his behaviour when dealing with the media.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had decided to investigate Malinga over his conduct when he was approached by the local media at the SLC headquarters recently.

Malinga had scolded the journalists when he was asked if he can speak a few words on a contract issue with SLC, reports Xinhua.

An SLC statement said their chief executive officer (CEO) Ajit Jayasekera conducted an inquiry and recommended that Malinga be censured and told to behave better while dealing with the media.

The board’s Executive Committee accepted his recommendations and appointed a committee which includes a former police officer, an attorney and Ajit Jayasekera to speak to Malinga.

Malinga was recently appointed vice-captain of the Twenty20 team.

SLC recently faced a crisis after its players refused to sign the new contracts. The board then warned that it had been instructed by the sports ministry to pick a new team for the ongoing series against Bangladesh if the current team members refused to agree to the terms offered.

Subsequently the team signed the new contracts which includes a clause that the team members cannot speak to the media without the board’s approval.