COLOMBO, OCT 31: Sri Lankan cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga has filed defamation suits for Rs 100 million each against three Sri Lankan newspapers for publishing allegations that he played only for financial gains.The state-run Daily News said Ranatunga sued The Island, Weekend Express and a Sinhalese daily Divana for publishing charges made by Sri Lanka's Olympic committee chairman Hemasiri Fernando that the skipper played only for money.
The Olympic committee had openly criticised both Ranatunga and the cricket board for not sending the best cricket team for the Commonwealth Games held last month in Kuala Lumpur.
Ranatunga contended that the criticism was not justified as the team was selected by the Board and not by him and that the Board felt that many senior cricketers including himself needed rest after a heavy season.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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