Malinga cannot say he’s a freelancer

[Maximas]

Former Sri Lanka Captain Arjuna Ranatunga, scathingly attacking on a recent statement made by Lasith Malinga, said the Sri Lanka fast bowler cannot justifiably say that he is a freelancer.


Ranatunga, speaking in a live TV talk show on Monday (May 22) night, proved his point saying that Malinga was selected, trained and introduced to the international arena by Sri Lanka and the local cricket board and therefore after achieving good status, he cannot say that he is a freelancer.


"It was our cricket coaches who found him. Our cricket board made him who he is today, provided him with all the basic needs and introduced him to the outside world. So it is wrong for him to say he is only a freelancer and play for the Ambanis (referring to the current IPL tournament where Malinga is playing for Mumbai Indians, owned by business tycoon Mukesh Ambani et al)," argued Ranatunga, a fervent critic of the latest twenty20 cricket format and the franchise-based T20 tournaments, especially the IPL.


He criticised the IPL saying it gives a bad precedence to the emerging cricketers.


"The team owners and film stars, like Shah Ruk Khan and Preity Zinta, too are mingling with the players in the same dressing rooms. They try to teach the players how to bat and bowl. I wouldn’t have tolerated if such a thing happened to me. I’d have chased them out if such people came and tried to teach me how to play the game. As cricketers, we need to learn to protect self respect," Ranatunga explained.


Ranatunga said the Sri Lanka Cricket needs to seriously think whether the country really needs to hold a local T20 tournament in the IPL model and cautioned the sports authorities here saying they should take the responsibility if any such tournament brings the country unwanted trends in the sport.

[LegCutter]

Originally Posted by Maximas "It was our cricket coaches who found him. Our cricket board made him who he is today, provided him with all the basic needs and introduced him to the outside world. So it is wrong for him to say he is only a freelancer and play for the Ambanis

Cant argue with that, can you. Shame on the cricketers who turn their back on their country which produced them. Same goes for Shaun Tait.

[Zamee]

Originally Posted by LegCutter Cant argue with that, can you. Shame on the cricketers who turn their back on their country which produced them. Same goes for Shaun Tait.

Aussies have a good fast bowling unit so i dont think Shaun Tait makes any difference to their attack. However Sirilankan's have a poor pace attack and they rely heavily on Malinga.
Its sad to see such state of affairs where players put their priorities above their country.

[velu]

Probably Ranatunga wishes he was born a decade or two later.

[madaboutcricket]

Originally Posted by velu Probably Ranatunga wishes he was born a decade or two later.

still no franchise would have picked him up and he would have still cried.

[freelance_cricketer]

I stand by all my freelancer brothers.

Ranatunga is just an attention seeker.

[munafpatel810]

Ranatunga is really pissed at ambanis and IPL. Seems not just grapes but apples and banana's and strawberries are sour too in his case

[PIE_CHUCKER]

Ranatunga has a point though... I see the Srilankas plite, they invested heavily with someone like Malinga and he tunred his back on them...

The words Nakam Haram comes to mind.

I think all boards should have a contract with young players from now, for example if they choose to play in leagues like IPL then they should return the money invested in there development to the respective boards.

[CricketTruth]

Originally Posted by PIE_CHUCKER Ranatunga has a point though... I see the Srilankas plite, they invested heavily with someone like Malinga and he tunred his back on them... The words Nakam Haram comes to mind. I think all boards should have a contract with young players from now, for example if they choose to play in leagues like IPL then they should return the money invested in there development to the respective boards.

He has a point about the IPL not really being cricket, but Malinga did not turn his back on Sri Lanka cricket, he was not fit enough to meet the demands of the 5 day game. He tried his hardest to play test matches, after a long layoff he was persuaded to return for Murali's farewell match against India.

He did quite well in that match, but the 5 days took a toll on his body, and he spent a couple of months recovering from it. He then realised that he definitely could not last for test cricket, so decided to stick to t20 and one dayers.

I'm not fully sure on this but I think that he had a serious injury after the 2007 world cup and the Sri Lankan cricket board did not bother to look after him. There was a point when he thought he would never play again. So I think he hasnt let down Sri Lanka cricket when all these factors are considered.

[attock]

"It was our cricket coaches who found him. Our cricket board made him who he is today, provided him with all the basic needs and introduced him to the outside world. So it is wrong for him to say he is only a freelancer and play for the Ambanis

Currently players think they are above their countries. Do they forget it is beacsue of their country they are where they are, the luxury lives they are living and the fame they have achieved.

If Sri Lanka had not picked Malinga he would have never been picked by an IPL team and neither would we have known who he is.....

[freelance_cricketer]

^ Its every man for himself really. Lankans didn't just pick any random kid from the streets and gave him the so called world class training. They hand picked the brightest and the most freakish talent they found in their country and that guy served them well enough for half a decade. Then when he found better opportunities in IPL he left test Cricket for it ( still plays international t20s for Lanka). Had the Lankans found any better kid earlier, wouldn't they have screwed young Mallinga for him? Even today if better options emerge, they will screw Mallinga.


So you see, every man for himself.
Always was, always will be.

[Garuda]

It depends how you want to look at it.

Yes, if you look with patriotic glasses it will look as Ranatunga is seeing it.

But look at it as a profession and every person does that. The board picked him, which is right. Malinga played for the board for last so many years and won them many games too.

It's like a company saying "I hired you from campus and trained you and you are because of the company what you are.". So, you can not become a freelancer after getting those experiences.

As a person Malinga has a right to choose his profession and he did it. He worked hard and won many matches for SL board when he was with them. So what's wrong ? It's not like the whole SL team has left the board. It's an individual who decides depending on his body, age and oppurtunity he is getting.

[wrongun]

I have maximum respect for Rantatunga. Never took a backwards step in his life, not to us Aussies, not to India, not for $$$, not even to his own players.

[LegCutter]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer ^ Its every man for himself really. Lankans didn't just pick any random kid from the streets and gave him the so called world class training. They hand picked the brightest and the most freakish talent they found in their country and that guy served them well enough for half a decade. Then when he found better opportunities in IPL he left test Cricket for it ( still plays international t20s for Lanka). Had the Lankans found any better kid earlier, wouldn't they have screwed young Mallinga for him? Even today if better options emerge, they will screw Mallinga. So you see, every man for himself. Always was, always will be.

This actually makes sense, in a sad sort of way

[IndianWillow]

Basically every individual who leaves his nation to seek a job abroad is committing the same mistake. If Malinga is wrong, so are all foreign job seekers. Malinga's actions will hurt cricket ( in the same way brain drain does to a country) but it cannot blamed in the sense Ranatunga would like to have it.

Every player is essentially trying to market himself and would go with whoever pays him the best. Bad for cricketing quality but good for the player. Various boards who want to discourage this trend must have players sign a contract asking for a commitment ( to play in the national side) for a minimum number of years and they cannot choose another team which is clashing with their national duties.

[Express Pace]

Not everything is about money, some people still have pride in playing for their country. One day money is will be gone, then what is going to remembered for?

[ecstatic_freak]

I would rather blame ICC for the mess. Ideally, it shouldn't come to a point where a player has to choose between country and IPL and i dont agree with Arjuna when he said that Malinga owes everything to Srilankan cricket board cause Malinga got picked for his talent, it works both ways.

IPL and other T20 leagues are there to stay so ICC needs to look at the schedule and make sure that these leagues are held in off-season, its very tricky i agree but if ICC doesn't do anything bout it then these sort of things will keep happening, players will choose T20 leagues over INTL cricket for obvious reasons.

[Kwremb]

IMO ICC has failed cricket massively with it failing to regulate this whole issue. It's tricky and complicated but no excuses.

[Lethalweapon]

Originally Posted by CricketTruth He has a point about the IPL not really being cricket, but Malinga did not turn his back on Sri Lanka cricket, he was not fit enough to meet the demands of the 5 day game. He tried his hardest to play test matches, after a long layoff he was persuaded to return for Murali's farewell match against India. He did quite well in that match, but the 5 days took a toll on his body, and he spent a couple of months recovering from it. He then realised that he definitely could not last for test cricket, so decided to stick to t20 and one dayers. I'm not fully sure on this but I think that he had a serious injury after the 2007 world cup and the Sri Lankan cricket board did not bother to look after him. There was a point when he thought he would never play again. So I think he hasnt let down Sri Lanka cricket when all these factors are considered.

This actually happened. Malinga got injured in early 2008.
Mumbai helped him then.

Lack of knowledge on this thread is ridiculous.

[Lethalweapon]

Originally Posted by LegCutter Cant argue with that, can you. Shame on the cricketers who turn their back on their country which produced them. Same goes for Shaun Tait.

You cannot argue because you don't know all facts.

[Lethalweapon]

Originally Posted by wrongun I have maximum respect for Rantatunga. Never took a backwards step in his life, not to us Aussies, not to India, not for $$$, not even to his own players.

Ranatunga is a politician. Why doesn't he not CHECK SOME FACTS before opening his mouth? England were never supposed to tour SL in 2012 or vice versa in 2011. FTP had them on different dates.
Twisting/forgetting facts is becoming a bad habit for him.

[Maximas]

Lasith Malinga pulls out of Middlesex T20 deal

Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga will not play for Middlesex in their FLt20 campaign due to injury concerns.

The 28-year-old has asked to withdraw from the seven-game deal he signed earlier this month.

Middlesex director of cricket Andy Fraser told the club website: "I totally understand Lasith's concerns as his workload has been and is high.

"Everyone was looking forward to working with Lasith. I am disappointed we are to be denied of his services."

Malinga played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League this year, taking 22 wickets at an average of 15.90.

However his appearances were restricted by knee and back injuries, and with his international commitments over the summer Malinga and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board believe that rest is needed to avoid serious injury.

Fraser added: "We are not the only county to suffer in this way.

"Over the coming days we will do all we can to secure the services of another high quality international cricketer for our campaign."

[IM NOT YOU]

Originally Posted by attock "It was our cricket coaches who found him. Our cricket board made him who he is today, provided him with all the basic needs and introduced him to the outside world. So it is wrong for him to say he is only a freelancer and play for the Ambanis Currently players think they are above their countries. Do they forget it is beacsue of their country they are where they are, the luxury lives they are living and the fame they have achieved. If Sri Lanka had not picked Malinga he would have never been picked by an IPL team and neither would we have known who he is.....

i could argue the opposite...


if malinga hadnt played for sri lanka they likely would not have reached the world cup finals, and would not likely have not reached the t20 world cup finals either


he has probably generated tons of revenue for sri lanka cricket based on ticket sales he is capable of generating based on the excitement he brings to the game of cricket.

he has also probably influenced many young sri lankans to become fast bowlers, and will probably help the future generation.



can the sri lanka board give malinga 1 million to play 2 months of cricket? no. so dont complain when somebody else can


these are athletes with a limited shelf life and need to secure themselves financially. STOP WHINING

[Indiafan]

Originally Posted by LegCutter Cant argue with that, can you. Shame on the cricketers who turn their back on their country which produced them. Same goes for Shaun Tait.

Originally Posted by PIE_CHUCKER Ranatunga has a point though... I see the Srilankas plite, they invested heavily with someone like Malinga and he tunred his back on them... The words Nakam Haram comes to mind. I think all boards should have a contract with young players from now, for example if they choose to play in leagues like IPL then they should return the money invested in there development to the respective boards.

Originally Posted by attock "It was our cricket coaches who found him. Our cricket board made him who he is today, provided him with all the basic needs and introduced him to the outside world. So it is wrong for him to say he is only a freelancer and play for the Ambanis Currently players think they are above their countries. Do they forget it is beacsue of their country they are where they are, the luxury lives they are living and the fame they have achieved. If Sri Lanka had not picked Malinga he would have never been picked by an IPL team and neither would we have known who he is.....

So does that mean if someone used up a country's resources while growing up, got shcooled and educated and attended colleges in one country, all his teaching, coaching happened by teachers in one country, he used up the resources (from public transports to subsidised books, etc) of one country, then he cannot move abroad for a job and needs to pay back his own country by working there? Hmmm

[Maximas]

SLC says no tailor-made contract for Malinga

The Sri Lanka Cricket is not in favour of offering a tailor-made contract to runaway fast bowler Lasith Malinga for next year, the Sunday Times reliably learns. A Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman said Malinga who was named in top category along with Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, T.M. Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera had so far not signed his central contract for next year, but had indicated to the authorities that he might consider signing a contract which suited him.

At present Malinga who has retired from Test cricket would receive only forty percent of the stipulated amount which would only work out for US$ 40,000 during the contracted period. Malinga kept away from signing the central contract last year. He also declared himself as a freelancer while he turning out for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League T-20 Championship.

The SLC spokesman said: “We cannot agree to such a request as it would create a huge precedent and even lead other cricketers getting fancy ideas. This has to be nipped in the bud. However, some of the cricketers who returned from India have not signed contracts as yet and we expect that they will do so after the two T-20 games in Hambantota.”

Malinga last week pulled out of his county contract with Middlesex making himself available for Sri Lanka’s two series against Pakistan and India. The two series will be followed by the SLPL and the ICC T-20 World Championship. SLC’s non-contracted players would earn an extra 25-percent in match fees and daily allowances. They are also not bound by SLC’s restrictive clauses, which prevent the contracted player from speaking to the media or leaving country without approval.

However, if Malinga does not sign the contract he would not be eligible for any training or medical facilities that contract-cricketers enjoy. Recently, Sri Lanka Cricket enforced a clause saying that only the contract players would be eligible for facilities provided by them. However, cricketers who have not been offered the central contract but are in the reckoning can enjoy the said facilities.

[Maximas]

Two-year ban on players who refuse Sri Lanka Cricket contracts

Sri Lanka's sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that his ministry will impose a ban on athletes who do not sign contracts with national sport bodies.

The minister referred to Lasith Malinga as the reason for this new policy.

"I am a great follower of fast bowler Lasith Malinga but that does not mean that I condone all his actions," Aluthgamage told Sri Lanka's Sunday Times newspaper.

"We have taken the cue from Malinga. In future, if sportspersons who are performing at national level fail to sign their central contracts with their specific sports bodies we will slap a two-year ban on them."

"This is a trend that we must nip in the bud. I find fault with the administrators for not getting tough on the players," the minister added.

"For instance, in the contract it is stipulated that a cricketer must be in the country at least two weeks prior to a tour. But, most of the cricketers who were engaged in the IPL returned to the island only a few days before the Pakistan tour. Yet, the SLC officials have not taken any action against anyone. As I understand, most of them still even have not signed their central contracts. That’s bad.

“However, in the future, sportspersons engaged in any discipline at national level and do not sign the central contract will face the two-year ban."

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) cannot present new contracts to players this year, as they have been unable to honour contract payments from the previous contract period. The dire financial crisis at SLC has meant that the cricket board still owes players several months in back pay.

Aluthgamage is yet to initiate any investigation into the conduct of government-appointed cricket board officials who left SLC in nearly US$ 70 million in debt after co-hosting the World Cup last year.

Furthermore, the cricket board also earns a significant sum from their Indian counterparts for allowing Sri Lankan players to participate in India's T20 tournament - the IPL.

Malinga told Island Cricket in April that the Sri Lankan media, who claimed he had refused to sign a contract, had got it wrong.Interestingly, Malinga told Island Cricket in April that the Sri Lankan media, who claimed he had refused to sign a contract, had got it wrong. According to the Sri Lankan paceman, he has not been offered a contract to refuse.

"No contracts have been offered yet for this year for any of the players," Malinga said.

"But whether I decide to play with or without [a] contract, does not really matter as I am still 100-percent available for selection for all ODI and T20 commitments for Sri Lanka just like I was last year."

Although there was no outcry or opposition from Sri Lankan journalists, the sports ministry or SLC officials last year; Malinga played as a non-contracted player from March 2011 to February 2012.

In addition, SLC intends on introducing a clause in their new contracts that prevents non-contracted players from using any of SLC facilities, including SLC-owned gyms and nets.

© AFP

[Justcrazy]

Ranatunga is becoming a sour person these days.

[Ironcat]

Pretty simple solution. Strike them out of international cricket, and they will soon die the Flintoff / Symonds death. Gayle knows it all too well.