Lasith Malinga's Australia air-ticket issue

Lasith Malinga who protested against being given Economy Ticket instead of Business Class for his overseas treatment .... 
goes to Australia on his expenses

Cricketer Lasith Malinga has left for Australia to attend to a surgery on the ankle of his left leg. He has been granted permission by the Cricket Association to leave for overseas treatment. However he has been given an Economy Class ticket which is usually given to an
ordinary passenger but not a ticket of the Business Class which is given to special passengers. As such, he has refused this ticket given him by the Cricket Association and Lasith Malinga states that he had purchased a Business Class ticket at his own expense and thus left to Australia. He also says that the amount of dollars 150 paid to him for one day spent in Australia is not sufficient.

What he says is that because he is ailing and should travel without much movement of his leg, travelling 15 flying hours with a ticket meant for ordinary passengers does not suit him. He mentions that he was told by the Cricket Association that it was the facility that could be provided to someone travelling overseas in the case of a sickness and that the amount paid for a day cannot be increased, though he had tried to explain matters. Lasith Malinga who says that he was okay with his funds, says that he went on this journey on his own account. He verbally complains that if another player who had not sufficient funds would have had to make this journey, he would have been in deep waters.

This is how Lasith Malinga addressed Hiru Channel recently: "This sickness has been there for one and a half years. I had been taking injections every 4 months. This affects my performance also. Because of this my bowling speed also went down. The Physiotherapist of the national team also spoke about this and came to a decision that this should be done.

When a leg has to be operated, doctors in Sri Lanka also say not to bend the knee .... to keep it straight. Unfortunately, I don't know what the reason is. It's supposed to be mentioned that when going for overseas treatment it is an Economy Class ticket that we are given.

This is about a 15 hour journey... has to go with the leg bent. I said okay;it doesn't matter -- then I'll speak about this and I'll book a Business Class ticket and go. But I am saying this now because I can do something like that. If these people treat us like this .... if a player who can't do this comes .... it's a question as to what will be done for him.

After the surgery I'll also have to take a rest for about 10 days.

But the Cricket Association is paying me only 150 dollars per day to stay there and have 3 meals. In a country like Australia, it's difficult. This is why we talk of the shortcomings of these contracts for years. I am sorry about this".