Sri Lanka's former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga lashed out at a "corrupt" rival on Friday after suffering a humiliating defeat in his bid to head the country's cricket administration.
Ranatunga, who garnered just seven votes and was pushed to third place in the three-cornered fight, rejected an offer to work with comfortable winner Thilanga Sumathipala, a Colombo businessman and former head of the cricket board.
"I am an honest person and I can't work with people who are corrupt," Ranatunga said in reply to Sumathipala's offer.
Sumathipala, who received 121 votes out of a possible 144 in the election for the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), was not immediately available for comment.
Ranatunga said he had won more than 100,000 votes at national elections for parliament in December 2001, but managed to get only seven at the elections to the prestigious cricket body.
He thanked the seven clubs and associations that voted for him but said his dismal performance should be an "eye-opener" for the authorities.
{{/usCountry}}He thanked the seven clubs and associations that voted for him but said his dismal performance should be an "eye-opener" for the authorities.
{{/usCountry}}The opposition member of parliament was always likely to struggle for support after his own home club dumped him and decided last month to vote for Sumathipala.
Ranatunga, who captained Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996, entered politics soon after retiring from cricket in 1999.
Sumathipala said last month that he was expecting to introduce a new level of "transparency" in a bid to restore public confidence in the cricket board, one of the richest sporting bodies in the country.
The BCCSL had been plagued by allegations of financial scandals.
Sumathipala said one of his immediate priorities was to find a coach for the national team after Dav Whatmore quit last month to join Bangladesh.