The Proteas are currently number one ranked team in the world in Test cricket and instead of the high profile Test series, Sri Lanka will be engaged in the much criticized Sri Lanka Premier League tournament.
"Cancelling the Test series is a crime and I can’t understand the thinking behind the decision," Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain told ‘The Island’ yesterday.
"I don’t believe in this postponement talk. I won’t be surprised if sometime next year they turn up and say that the calendar is packed and hence we will not be playing the Test series at all," Ranatunga added.
"I am surprised that senior members of the current team haven’t said a word about it. Maybe because they are in the twilight of their careers, playing two or more Test matches doesn’t make a difference to them. But I feel for the younger generation."
"The likes of Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne and others will learn playing Test cricket and these young players have been denied a good opportunity. The authorities should take note of the recent trend," Ranatunga went onto say.
"I remember, in the 1980s and 1990s, we went through a period where there was hardly any cricket taking place in the country during the war years. We were craving for Test cricket, but we hardly got anything. Now we are saying no to Test cricket and it is crime."
The South Africa Test series has been delayed to allow the SLPL tournament, a competition that has done more harm than good to Sri Lanka cricket. Several players who participated in the SLPL and others involved such as scorers are yet to be paid, although the tournament ended several months ago.
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