The curious absence of Sri Lankan cricket's first citizen

There are intriguing parallels between Arjuna Ranatunga and Imran Khan. Both are World Cup-winning captains with strong personalities and unyielding leadership styles, who went on to become politicians. Currently, both are virtually persona non grata in their countries—one incarcerated, the other facing legal uncertainty.

With the T20 World Cup unfolding on home soil, Ranatunga is conspicuous by his absence. Ask around, and the answer is largely the same: "We don't know."

"I would not know why he is not involved in the game, would not know if he is in the country or abroad," says former teammate Sidath Wettimuny. The word is that he is in the United States, but few would confirm this.

"Yes, he is in the United States. He has been blessed with grandchildren," Nishantha Ranatunga tells Cricbuzz. He confirms his elder brother is no longer involved in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) administration, where he served briefly in an interim capacity in 2023.

Ranatunga's disappearance from the public eye is not related to his past criticisms of the BCCI. It was widely reported last December that Sri Lanka's Anti-Corruption Watchdog linked him to an alleged scam, and an arrest warrant was issued against him. Days later, his brothers Dhammika and Prasanna were briefly taken into custody and released. Whether the warrant against Arjuna still stands is unclear, with no one willing to speak on the matter.

Ranatunga was born into a family of politicians, making his transition from cricket to politics natural. Yet, in politics, he could not replicate his cricketing success. He helped make cricket accessible to common people in Sri Lanka, breaking its elite sport pattern.

Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win, a transformative event for the island's cricket, was a tribute to Ranatunga's leadership. However, few are willing to speak about him now. Even former captain Marvan Atapattu, whom Ranatunga fiercely backed early in his career, declined to comment.

One person who would speak is his one-time arch-adversary, former SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala. "The problem with Arjuna is that he and his brother were indicted, and he faces difficulties with the authorities. He could be remanded to custody. He will have to fight that," he says.

"As a cricketer, there were no doubts about his credentials. He was a great captain and leader, and I would have liked to see him in a consultant role with the SLC, like many other former cricketers. But as an administrator, we can't say the same. He tried to get elected to the SLC a few times but was defeated. As a politician, he faced many challenges, much like Imran Khan."

The parallels between Ranatunga and Imran diverge here. Unlike the Pakistani leader, Ranatunga is the least of the current administration's concerns in Sri Lanka. The government is said to be largely indifferent to him, and his case may not carry the same political weight as Imran's.

Unlike Imran, Arjuna is seen as no threat to any political party, the government, or even the SLC, which has benefited from his contributions to the game.