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by Dinesh Weerawansa

Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Johnston Fernando has delayed approving the 15-member Sri Lanka squad for the Champions trophy triangular tournament in Sharjah next month. Reliable sources said that Minister Fernando has refused to ratify the team until he expands the selection committee to five members and obtain a better representation on the selection process. Aravinda de Silva and Lalith Kaluperuma are set to be in the new panel.

There are only two members in the current national selection committee - Guy de Alwis (Chairman) and Roger Wijesuriya (Member), following the resignation of Ranil Abeynaike (Member). But there have been many complaints from different quarters that having only two members in an important selection committee like cricket is a great injustice to many budding players in the provinces and the selection committee must have at least five members, as in most other sports.

Hence, Minister Fernando has not put his signature on the list of names submitted by the two selectors on Sunday. Despite outside moves to continue with two selectors, Minister Fernando is of the view that having five selectors would give greater representation and a more democratic process and would give adequate time for the selectors to keep an eye on the performances of national level players.

Minister Fernando's refusal to ratify the team to Sharjah is in no way connected to selection of players but purely because of the reduced strength of the selection committee.

Minister Fernando is to add three more names to the national selection committee and make it five.

As exclusively stated in this column yesterday, former Sri Lanka captain and veteran Test cricketer, Aravinda de Silva, who retired from international cricket after the recent 2003 ICC World Cup tournament in South Africa, is tipped to be one of the three new faces to be added to the selection committee. Also earmarked to be included in the selection committee is former Sri Lanka Test all-rounder Lalith Kaluperuma.

In the team sent to Minister Fernando for ratification, out-of-form middle order batsmen Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold and wicket keeper bat Kumar Sangakkara have been sacked from the Sharjah tour. Surprisingly, veteran Hashan Tillakaratne, who too was completely off colour during the World Cup, has been retained in the squad. The national selectors have retained Sanath Jayasuriya as captain.

The national selectors and BCCSL Interim Committee have agreed to Minister Fernando's view that Jayasuriya should continue as captain. While the national selectors retained him for the job, the BCCSL Interim Committee has not accepted Jayasuriya's resignation.

Star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is reported to be rested while paceman Pulasthi Gumaratne has been dropped. Fast bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Prabhath Nissanka have been given another chance to blossom.

Three new faces added to the squad are top order batsman Michael Vandort, wicket keeper bat Prasanna Jayawardene and leg-spinner Kaushal Loukuarachchi, who is a useful all-rounder.

The squad which has not been approved by the Sports Minister: Sanath Jayasuriya (Captain), Marvan Atapattu (vice captain), Hashan Tillakaratne, Jehan Mubarak, Avishka Gunawardene, Michael Vandort, Tilan Samaraweera, Prasana Jayawardene, Kumara Dharmasena, Kaushal Loukuarachchi, Chaminda Vaas, Prabath Nissanka, Dilhara Fernando, Hasantha Fernando and Buddhika Fernando.

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