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The Colombo curator and former Sri Lankan team manager Michael de Zoysa has taken a swing at the Australian cricket side, labelling them “ugly” and “poor losers”.
De Zoysa also reportedly filed a complaint with match referee Chris Broad that the visitors had damaged wickets on the pitch squad while fielding in close during the third Test.
Meanwhile Australia are said to be frustrated at green practice wickets that show bare no resemblance to the turning decks that await them in the middle.
But de Zoysa said the Aussies need to stop whinging.
“I’ve never seen an Australian team complain so much for everything,” De Zoysa told The Australian.
“They have complained about the pitch preparation, the state of the pitch, the pitches prepared for practice and on which side of the ground they should conduct their warm-up sessions.”
Tensions between the two teams began when the visitors enlisted Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan as a spinning coach ahead of the series, leading to him being labelled as a traitor.
Australian media reports than suggested that the pitch for the second Test had been doctored on a good length, causing unnatural deterioration, leading to more purchase for spinners.
De Zoysa also claimed he had copped criticism when the Australians believed the third Test wicket would also produce a result in less than three days, however that has not materialised at the match enters its fifth.
“All I can say is that they are poor losers,” de Zoysa said.
“They came to Sri Lanka hoping to steamroll our team following our losses in England, but to their surprise they find themselves 0-2 down in the series and the possibility of being whitewashed if they lose this Test, so they are whingeing at every turn.”
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