Former Sri Lankan cricket luminary Arjuna Ranatunga has levied sharp criticism against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, asserting that Shah is exerting a detrimental influence on Sri Lankan cricket. This condemnation follows Sri Lanka’s lackluster performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Ranatunga contends that the close affiliations between Sri Lanka Cricket officials and Jay Shah have emboldened the BCCI, giving them the notion that they can wield control over Sri Lanka Cricket. Ranatunga explicitly claims that Jay Shah effectively governs Sri Lanka Cricket, attributing the sport’s struggles in the nation to Shah’s pressures. The 1996 World Cup-winning captain contends that Sri Lankan cricket is suffering due to undue influence from Jay Shah and posits that an individual in India is singularly responsible for the deterioration of Sri Lankan cricket. Ranatunga emphasizes that Jay Shah’s ascendancy is owed to his influential father, the Home Minister of India. This critique intensifies the recent tumult in Sri Lankan cricket, characterized by their disappointing showing in the ODI World Cup, administrative changes in the cricket board, and suspension by the ICC due to pervasive government interference.