An investigation into the state of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka has revealed sickening evidence that players have been forced to perform sexual favours for cricketing officials in order to keep their place on the team.
The investigation was ordered by Sri Lanka’s governing sports body, Sri Lanka Cricket, when a senior player was dropped from the team, seemingly without reason.
Upon closer examination, it was discovered that the player (who has chosen to remain unnamed) was dropped after she refused to have sex with cricket officials to keep her position.
Originally reported in Sinhala newspaper, Divaina, the journalists quoted an anonymous cricket player that claimed that women were asked to have sex with cricketing officials in order to be considered for the team – and periodically thereafter, to keep their position.
She maintains that she was dropped from the squad after she refused an official.
The three-person board, led by Supreme Court judge Nimal Dissanayake, submitted evidence to Sri Lanka Cricket on Wednesday stating that they had found substantial evidence to suggest this sexual harassment of female cricket players is prevalent and wide-spread.
“The committee report found evidence of sexual harassment by members of the Sri Lanka cricket women’s management team against several members of the Sri Lanka cricket women’s team,” the findings read, “The (sports) minister intends to take disciplinary actions against those members where evidence has been found.”
It was not announced, however, what form this disciplinary action would take, and to whom it would be dealt.
