Archives

by Richard Dwight

The Board, the Selectors and the Cricketers are apparently in a veritable mess. Each of these segments act and perform in a way, that strangely passes off for cricket here in this country. If we are to look at its administration, one is quick to find with dismay, the absence of an officially constituted cricket board to guide and direct the affairs of the game.

It has become non existent to be defunct, which to say the least is most unsatisfactory. And the game now sadly meanders from one ad-hoc interim committee to another, so on and so forth. Equally puzzled are a good many, to learn that cricket here presently does not enjoy financial stability.

This is hard to reconcile with, considering the spate of reciprocal tours made to, and from the country and, the existence of yet other income generating avenues. It's certainly not an adverse reflection on the present interim committee, for the reason that it has been called upon to bear the unnecessary burdens - the sins of omission, brought about by the undertaking of far too ambitious projects in the years gone by.

In this regard, we wish to think and want to believe, that apart from the internal audit, the accounts do also come under the purview of the representatives of the Auditor General's Department, the external audit.

However it must be said, that in the not too distant past, that under the leadership of both Ana Punchihewa and Rienzie Wijetillke, marked by a corresponding band of exemplary gentlemen for selectors, our cricket all-round, in every sense of the term successfully forged ahead.

Alas, with things becoming uncomfortable for a good many of these committee members and selectors - they, after doing an excellent job, for reasons best known to them and, the powers that be, did the rare thing of stepping down on their own volition.

How true then to say, that not only in the field of cricket, but in other areas as well, things that count for good, is not allowed to enjoy measure of continuity, whilst the bad an ugly are permitted to carry on regardless, which indeed is a pity.

Whatever the Law that comes to be, it should ensure that politicians are not allowed to get closer to the affairs of cricket, especially within the reach of the selectors, for otherwise it would be cricket's babel here, with confusion becoming worse confounded and all being lost.

Selectors

As we move over the subject of 'cricket selectors' and the selections they were responsible for - we cannot help but reiterate that which was stressed earlier, in that sometime ago we were fortunate in having a near perfect, ideal selection committee.

Comprising men who exercised independent thinking and held the scales evenly to act without fear or favour. But with their exit and one selection committee giving way to another, in the way and manner in which a game of musical chairs is indulged in - all was verily not well with our cricket.

Ludicrous it was when a dropped selector or two resorted to the odd gimmick and was surprisingly reinstated. Even worse it was, when recently, just two selectors thought they would do, to select the Sri Lankan squad/team. Perhaps their narrow view must have been, that unanimity within two was much easier and simpler than having the widely accepted broad-based selection committee of 3 to 5 members.

Happily for cricket, the chairman of this Selection Committee, for reason best known to him and the Interim Committee, has since resigned. Just when there was an erosion of our confidence in the selectors, things did seem to brighten up with the appointment of past Sri Lankan cricketer Kaluperuma as chairman of selectors, along with the experienced former star batsman Aravinda and three others to serve on the Committee.

However, with remuneration and other perks coming the way of senior players and those aspiring to make the team as new comers, a tremendous responsibility devolves upon the Selection Committee to pick players on merit and merit alone, without yielding to temptation and yet other pressures that could arise.

Cricketers

In the halcyon years gone by, with everything going well for the country, cricket was played in those glorious paradise days in the way it was intended to, with a set of cricketers who ungrudgingly gave off more than what they got. But today, since the gaining of test status, the ensuing spate of reciprocal tours and the winning of the World Cup in 1996 - cricket has come to be played in a highly professional and commercialised environment.

Where the quest of filthy lucre, money supersedes all else and, cherished values lay subordinate to be spoken of as out of date and not in keeping with modern trends.

Cricketers who were nobodies the other day, have become millionaires overnight and, yet others, a plethora of them, who never handled a cricket bat and knew next to nothing of the game, are increasingly joining the band wagon and swirling like bees around the honeycomb; cricket.

If contentment and away with craving, avarice and greed are the watchwords of our country - then the cricketers and those involved will do well to adhere to these tenets, especially in the light of there being so much poverty in the land. Anything short of this, will be regarded as a lack of patriotism by our cricketers, causing much disappointment and disillusionment, amongst the many followers of the game. Significant it is, that it is those cricketers who asked for more, that failed to perform. How true, cricket has a way of catching up with those who err. We are confident, that either the Board or the Interim Committee, will always do that which is best for our cricketers, according to the means available to it.

And so there is to need to ape the affluent leading cricket playing nations, by having a 'Players Association' for the reasons stated earlier. We have trade unions these days, which at the drop of a hat hold protest marches, shouting slogans at Hyde park and Liptons Circus.

We do not want 12 to 17 cricketers adding to the misery at opportune moments standing in front of the cricket board, with placards in their hands and yelling for more.

Needless to say, they will earn the wrath of the already burdened many, in this poverty-stricken third world developing country.

Board AGM

We are not quite sure, when the AGM of the Cricket Board will be held, but if and when it is held, our plea, old-fashioned though it be, will bet the same tried and tested cry of old, "God give us men at times like this demands, strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands.

Men whom the lust of office does not kill, Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy, men who possess opinions, and a will, men who love honour, men who cannot lie.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager