Sanath Jayasuriya's heartfelt letter to Cricket Sri Lanka after his resignation
After the shambolic performance of the Sri Lankan cricket team, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has stepped down from his post taking moral responsibility for the team's downward slide.
Jayasuriya also confessed in the letter that he was pained by the behaviour of the crowd in Pallekele when they threw bottles on the ground to express their displeasure with the team.
This is the letter Jayasuriya penned down:
Dear Sir,
I write this letter with great sadness in my heart as after long discussion with fellow selectors, we have unanimously decided to tender our resignation on September 7 2017.
As a player who has represented the country at all levels, and as a former captain and current chairman of selectors, last Sunday's incident at the grounds was the last straw. Cricket has been and will always be my life, so it was particularly painful to see our own fans attack our own players.
I acknowledge it has been a very disappointing year. However, just one year ago we beat Australia at home three-nil. This was an unforgettable moment. We have some very talented boys and I am sure in time they will take cricket to the heights that it once was. We will always be ready to help Sri Lanka cricket should the need arise.
The 1996 players always will think of the glory days with nostalgia. We would like to thank you, sir, for all the help and support extended to us. We would also like to thank the president and the board for the unwavering support that was extended to us.
Finally, we would like to thank the team for giving us their best at all times. We go with our eyes full of tears but with our heads held high. To all the fans we say please have faith in the boys. They will deliver. To the boys, we say: believe in your ability and believe in the fans. They will be with you ultimately. We believe we will keep to our vision and succeed as One team, One nation.
Yours faithfully,
Sanath Jayasuriya