Former Sri Lankan cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena has warned the public against fake AI-generated advertisements misusing his name and image. 

In a social media post, he clarified that all genuine endorsements and partnerships will only be announced through his verified platforms. “I haven’t shared it as well, take no heed!” he stated.

This comes amid a growing trend of AI-manipulated ads falsely featuring well-known personalities. Several celebrities and public figures worldwide have recently issued similar warnings after their names and faces were used in deceptive promotional content.

Experts advise the public to be cautious and look for signs of fake ads, including:

* Poor grammar or unusual phrasing in captions

* Misaligned or low-quality visuals

* No links to official pages or verified accounts

* Claims that sound exaggerated or too good to be true

Jayawardena urged his followers to stay vigilant and avoid engaging with or sharing such content. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket icons Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara expressed their support for the government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative, hailing it as a vital step toward national development.

The program, aimed at promoting cleanliness and sustainable practices, was officially launched today at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Speaking to media following the event Jayawardena said that public participation in the initiative will be vital for its success. “As citizens, we have a great responsibility to take this project forward. This is a great start, and there’s much to do,” he said, wishing the program success.

Meanwhile, Kumar Sangakkara said the programme was a timely effort to unite political and administrative sectors while fostering a shift in societal values.

“ Although interpreted in simple terms, this programme has been launched with greater meaning. This initiative is crucial for the development of the country as well as its citizens. Real change will happen when everyone becomes part of this transformation, as the government cannot do it alone,” he said. (Newswire)

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Former Sri Lanka World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has questioned the role of Mahela Jayawardena as a Consultant coach for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). 

Addressing the media, Ranatunga inquired about the responsibilities of former cricketer Mahela Jayawardena in this capacity.

Stating that he is not against paying high salaries to former cricketers who deserve such pay, Ranatunga said they should take responsibility for the actions they take.

The former Sri Lanka cricket legend pointed out that no one has taken accountability for the national team’s failure in the 2023 World Cup and that the SLC has not taken action or sacked any coaching staff in this regard.

The SLC has only patched up the mess, adding more people to the coaching staff and has not removed any, he said.

He said that the game of cricket in Sri Lanka has continued to deteriorate under SLC President Shammi Silva and that it was evident when Sri Lanka struggled to beat Zimbabwe in the last game.

He also questioned an advertisement that was placed in a weekend newspaper claiming to be from the Sports Ministry about reviving cricket and questioned who spent money for it.

Arjuna Ranatunga further called on Sports Minister Harin Fernando to release the inquiry report on the claims made by Former Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee head Pramodya Wickramasinghe of a conspiracy related to the 2023 cricket World Cup defeat. 

He added that the Sports Minister must reveal the facts behind these claims instead of concealing them.

Promodya Wickramasinghe had given a statement to the Police Unit of the Sports Ministry after former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe had raised questions on the claims. (NewsWire)

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Former cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena will work as cricket consultants for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), but in different capacities, SLC Vice President Ravin Wickramaratne clarified.

Speaking during a television talk show on local media, Wickramaratne explained that Mahela Jayawardena is tasked with discussing and creating strategies for the performance of the national teams.

He further said Mahela Jayawardena will focus on the strategies of the Sri Lankan teams, largely focusing on the national team.

The SLC Vice President said, however, that Sanath Jayasuriya has been tasked with the conditioning of the cricket teams, starting from junior cricket to the national team.

He is tasked with conditioning the players, which includes injuries, mental preparation, and fitness-related strategies, which will be done from the High-Performance Unit.

Ravin Wickramaratne added that Sanath Jayasuriya will work together with the coaches, conditioning and developing the cricketers for international standards. (NewsWire)

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Only 15% of goals are on track with regard to the global Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, Sri Lanka cricketing legend Mahela Jayawardena said. 

In a video message, the former cricketer pointed out that with seven years left to 2030,  the world has reached the halfway mark, but it is yet to achieve its target of 17 goals. 

Drawing parallels to the second innings of a cricket match, Mahela Jayawardene emphasized that this is the time for the world to regroup, re-energize, recommit, and get ready to go out there and achieve its goals. 

“Just like in cricket, we must unite, strategize, and bring our A-game to let leaders know that we are all determined to win,” he said, in the video message shared by the United Nations Office in Sri Lanka. 

Video : https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy0LbbzoREL/ (NewsWire)

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Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will travel with the national cricket team to Zimbabwe where Sri Lanka will play its Cricket World Cup qualifying matches.

Jayawardene, who is a Consultant Coach for the national cricket team, told NewsWire that he will be with the Sri Lanka team in Zimbabwe.

The Sri Lanka team will leave for Zimbabwe tomorrow and Mahela Jayawardena is expected to join the team ahead of the 1st warmup game scheduled on 13th June.

Sri Lanka is in Group B with Ireland, Oman, Scotland and UAE. The five teams in group A are Nepal, Netherlands, USA, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka’s first match is against the UAE team on Monday, 19th June. (NewsWire)

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