Lankan media criticise sports minister for his IPL u-turn

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The Sri Lankan media on Saturday criticised sports minister Mahindanada Aluthgamage demanding his resignation after he was forced to make a U-turn on his directive that Sri Lankan players in the IPL must put the country before cash-rich league.

Aluthgamage ordered that players must return to Colombo by May 5 to prepare for the tour of England.

However in a complete U-turn on Thursday, he let the players to stay in India until May 18 and travel direct to England to join the squad.

"Now that the minister has not been able to deliver what he promised why doesn't he seriously consider resignation," leading Lankan daily ‘The Island’ wrote.

The paper says the minister in his U-turn has blamed the cricket administration for issuing players with NOC to participate in the IPL without setting a time frame for their return to prepare for the England series.

"We feel the sports minister has completely lost the point here," the newspaper stressed.