Jayasuriya, Ranatunga hit streets to join protest against the Rajapaksas

Sri Lanka is in the grip of its worst economic crisis since independence. As a result, people have been taking to the streets, holding demonstrations to demand the resignation of the ruling Rajapaksa dispensation.

On Saturday, the protests took a new turn as former cricketers Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Roshan Mahanama joined the commoner on the streets to demand the resignation of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Standing in front of Rajapaksa's office, former World Cup-winning captain and former minister Arjuna Ranatunga urged other sports stars from the country to hit the streets.

"Spectators drive cricket. Our fans are on the streets today because they no longer can bear the hardships. We must be with our fans when they need us most. Sports stars must physically join the protests." he said as quoted by AFP.

Meanwhile, former opener Sanath Jayasuriya addressed the protestants and said, "Your message is loud and clear. I hope the authorities will listen and ensure a brighter future for all of us."

Former cricketer and ICC Match Referee Roshan Mahanama compared Rajapaksa to former Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe, admitting that he had imagined that Sri Lanka would plunge into the same situation as the African nation.

"When I used to go to Zimbabwe many years ago, I saw the economic hardships people suffered there," Mahanama said.

"My driver had to stand in a queue for hours to get diesel. I thought this would never happen in my country. But today, we are in the same boat." he added.

As of today, Sri Lanka's total external debt is close to $50 billion. The island nation's debt obligations for the current year exceeded $7 billion. With barely any foreign exchange left, the country has declared default to the International Monetary Fund and will be seeking a bailout soon.

In the past four months, India has provided multiple instalments of the line of credit and humanitarian aid in transportation of petrol, diesel, essential daily items, medicines, etc., as demand intensified among the commoner.