Lanka selection panel under Sanath Jayasuriya quits en masse

Bengaluru, August 29: Sri Lanka's cricket selectors resigned en masse on Tuesday (August 29), after the national side suffered another humiliating thrashing on home soil against India.

The five selectors, led by former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, handed a joint letter of resignation to Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera, reported an agency.

The announcement comes midway through India's five-match one-day international tour in Sri Lanka, a series the hosts conceded on Sunday (August 27) with a third consecutive loss.

Fans, tired of losses, leadership changes and mismanagement, booed the home side and lobbed bottles as they approached defeat at Pallekele.

"The selection panel felt they should step down, allowing the board to appoint a fresh set of selectors in view of the criticism and the crowd reaction on Sunday," a source said.

The ODI series loss came close on the heels of Test series whitewash against India. Selectors have borne a lot of criticism, with Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga accusing the panel of lacking "backbone".

Sri Lanka will play the remaining two ODIs against India on Thursday (August 31) and Sunday (September 3), and a one-off Twenty20 on September 6.