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Charlie Austin (on right) with Mahela Jayawardene Photo ESPN[/caption]
Former World Cup-winning Sri Lanka cricket Captain and politician Arjuna Ranatunga says Charlie Austin, former Cricinfo journalist and Player Manager of over a dozen of prominent Sri Lanka players, needs to be “chased out if Sri Lanka cricket is to be saved”.
“That person Charlie Austin has to be chased out. All agents of the cricketers have to be stopped. As far as I know, he (Austin) does not pay a single cent as tax. Nobody is looking into this,” Ranatunga told in an interview with a Youtube news channel last week.
Manger system needs to be changed
He also said Austin is the Manager of former Sri Lanka Captains Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who are “giving protection to him” because Austin is their Manager and business partner.
“Player agents need to be stopped. This Englishman has about twenty players (who he manages). 10% of what those players earn goes to him. These agents are influencing the selection committees. They use media and promote their players.
“They don’t allow other talented players to come up. They make sure that their players always continue to play, even if they fail. This system has to be changed,” Ranatunga, a vehement critic of the present cricket administration, said.
Influencing selections
Meanwhile former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official confirmed The Morning Sports on the condition of the anonymity that some of the player agents are actually trying to influence national cricket team selections.
“They try to influence the selectors. Some powerful Player Agents try to influence them in a very big way. It’s a known fact. That’s because they (the Player Agents) get a commission out of every deal the player strikes,” he said.
Abeysinghe and de Silva
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Roshan Abeysinghe[/caption]
Other than Austin, there are two other names he mentioned when talking about allegedly influential player agents: Roshan Abeysinghe and Ravi de Silva. Abeysinghe has reportedly managed popular cricketers such as Tillkaratne Dilshan , Ajantha Mendis, Malinga Bandara, and Lahiru Thirimanne.
“Abeysinghe is evidently out of the business because of his commitments as an international cricket commentator. But he could be continuing to do the agent job through his proxies. That can be done,” he added.
When asked whether the above individuals have tried to influence selection at any point in the recent past, the source who is in the know of national selection process through last decade or so, answered in the affirmative.
During previous SLC committees
[caption id="attachment_117176" align="alignright" width="300"]
Ravi de Silva (on right) with Kusal Perera[/caption]
Other than Jayawardene and Snagakkara, Austin has worked as Manager for Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews as high-profile players. Kusal Janith Perera and Chamara Kapugedara are prominent player de Silva has managed.
It is also understood that during the 2010-15 period when Nishantha Ranatunga was the powerful Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), this Player Agent system has temporarily been stopped.
The SLC’s view then had been that the commission coming into the country by releasing the nationally contracted players to play in lucrative international leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) needs to be utilised for national cricket development, rather than allowing those money to reach the pockets of certain individuals.
Nasoom Azar and Asanka Wijewardena
Nasoom Azar, who is reportedly based in England, is allegedly another Manager of several other players including Lakshan Sandakan, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Meanwhile one Asanka Wijewardena, who is also in England, has been reported as the Manger at one point of players such as Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka.
Charlie Austin (on right) with Mahela Jayawardene Photo ESPN[/caption]
Former World Cup-winning Sri Lanka cricket Captain and politician Arjuna Ranatunga says Charlie Austin, former Cricinfo journalist and Player Manager of over a dozen of prominent Sri Lanka players, needs to be “chased out if Sri Lanka cricket is to be saved”.
“That person Charlie Austin has to be chased out. All agents of the cricketers have to be stopped. As far as I know, he (Austin) does not pay a single cent as tax. Nobody is looking into this,” Ranatunga told in an interview with a Youtube news channel last week.
Manger system needs to be changed
He also said Austin is the Manager of former Sri Lanka Captains Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who are “giving protection to him” because Austin is their Manager and business partner.
“Player agents need to be stopped. This Englishman has about twenty players (who he manages). 10% of what those players earn goes to him. These agents are influencing the selection committees. They use media and promote their players.
“They don’t allow other talented players to come up. They make sure that their players always continue to play, even if they fail. This system has to be changed,” Ranatunga, a vehement critic of the present cricket administration, said.
Influencing selections
Meanwhile former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official confirmed The Morning Sports on the condition of the anonymity that some of the player agents are actually trying to influence national cricket team selections.
“They try to influence the selectors. Some powerful Player Agents try to influence them in a very big way. It’s a known fact. That’s because they (the Player Agents) get a commission out of every deal the player strikes,” he said.
Abeysinghe and de Silva
[caption id="attachment_117174" align="alignleft" width="300"] Roshan Abeysinghe[/caption]
Other than Austin, there are two other names he mentioned when talking about allegedly influential player agents: Roshan Abeysinghe and Ravi de Silva. Abeysinghe has reportedly managed popular cricketers such as Tillkaratne Dilshan , Ajantha Mendis, Malinga Bandara, and Lahiru Thirimanne.
“Abeysinghe is evidently out of the business because of his commitments as an international cricket commentator. But he could be continuing to do the agent job through his proxies. That can be done,” he added.
When asked whether the above individuals have tried to influence selection at any point in the recent past, the source who is in the know of national selection process through last decade or so, answered in the affirmative.
During previous SLC committees
[caption id="attachment_117176" align="alignright" width="300"] Ravi de Silva (on right) with Kusal Perera[/caption]
Other than Jayawardene and Snagakkara, Austin has worked as Manager for Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews as high-profile players. Kusal Janith Perera and Chamara Kapugedara are prominent player de Silva has managed.
It is also understood that during the 2010-15 period when Nishantha Ranatunga was the powerful Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), this Player Agent system has temporarily been stopped.
The SLC’s view then had been that the commission coming into the country by releasing the nationally contracted players to play in lucrative international leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) needs to be utilised for national cricket development, rather than allowing those money to reach the pockets of certain individuals.
Nasoom Azar and Asanka Wijewardena
Nasoom Azar, who is reportedly based in England, is allegedly another Manager of several other players including Lakshan Sandakan, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Meanwhile one Asanka Wijewardena, who is also in England, has been reported as the Manger at one point of players such as Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka.