‘Witchcraft helped us win’

Colombo : Sri Lanka’s surprise two-match Test cricket win against Pakistan this month was down to witchcraft, captain Dinesh Chandimal said on Tuesday, drawing mockery on social media.

Chandimal told reporters he had received a special blessing from a meyni, or sorcerer, ahead of the two-match series in the United Arab Emirates. “I am always ready to accept the blessings of anyone — whether it is a meyni or any clergy,” Chandimal told reporters after returning to Colombo. “You can have talent, but without this blessing you can’t move forward.” His comments came a week after Sri Lanka’s sports minister denied ordering the struggling national team to use witchcraft ahead of the Test series.

Dayasiri Jayasekara threatened to sue a sorcerer for claiming that at his request she cast a spell over Pakistan to ensure Sri Lanka’s victory.  Chandimal said the sorcerer he consulted was the mother of a friend, and he was willing to accept her blessings. But since the Test victory, Sri Lanka have fared less well. They lost 5-0 in the subsequent ODI & T20 series.

Sri Lankan fans made fun of Chandimal and criticised his sorcerer online, with many calling her a fraud. “You made predictions, tied talismans, held poojas, but finally we were humiliated,” posted one social media user.