Sri Lanka women cricketers forced to perform sexual favours to retain place in national team

Probe has been ordered into the case

Sri Lanka Sports Ministry in a shocking revelation said that according to an investigation evidence had been found that the members of Sri Lankan National Women’s team had been forced to perform sexual favours for the officials so that they could retain or find a place in the squad. Sri Lanka Cricket which is the official body that looks after cricketing matters of the country has now ordered a probe into the matter.

A committee consisting of three members had been set up, headed by retired Supreme Court judge NimalDissanayake, submitted its findings to the Sri Lankan  Sport's Ministry on Wednesday, reported Manorama online.

The official statement was, “The committee report found evidence of sexual harassment by members of the Sri Lanka cricket women's management team against several members of the Sri Lanka cricket women's team.”

A Black day in the Women Cricket History

"The (sports) minister intends to take disciplinary actions against those members where evidence has been found."

However, the statement did not divulge any details as to what evidence was found, who were involved or what would be the course ahead.

There had been local media reports in late October wherein an anonymous senior female cricketer had claimed that officials selecting players had asked women players to have sex with them if they wanted to be selected. These allegations first appeared in a Sinhalese newspaper Divaina and the senior player was dropped after she refused to perform sexual favours. 

Sri Lanka's women cricket team is ranked sixth in the world ICC rankings in one-day international games after Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and England by the ICC. They just lost a four one-day match series against West Indies on Wednesday.