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| Friday, 25 June 2004 |
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False allegations against SLC In the recent past many false allegations have been unfairly directed at Sri Lanka Cricket over the print and electronic media. One such allegation is pertaining to the present Sri Lanka team's visit to Australia. Knowledgeable persons like Arjuna Ranatunge has gone on record that the present SLC has without foresight agreed for the Two Test matches to be played in Darwin and Cairns between 1st to 13th July, 2004. He has accused the present member of SLC for not having taken adequate steps to play at least one of these matches in recognised venue such as Melbourne or Sydney. In this regard the present members of SLC wish to categorically state all the facts relating to this tour. * This tour to Australia was finalised by the members of the last interim committee of the board. Further we wish to state that this interim committee also took the guarantee money due to SLC as an advance from Australian Cricket Board at the time of finalising this tour. * The venues of the two said Test matches to be played in Darwin and Cairns between 1st to 13th July, 2004 was also arranged and agreed upon by the members of the last interim committee. * The accusations levelled at the present members of SLC by Arjuna Ranatunge in particular that the present SLC members are responsible for this action is totally incorrect. It is however imperative that the cricket loving public in Sri Lanka are given the true picture of this tour. It is very important to remember that during this time of the year the southern territory of Australia is undergoing their winter period. Due to severity of the winter no cricket can be played in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth during this winter period, the popular Australian football games are played in most of these venues drawing large crowds the nature of the game is such that it causes a lot of damage to the center of the grounds which includes the square on which cricket is played. The present members of the SLC when they assumed office in March 2004 were saddled with this tour since matches arranged by member Test playing countries are done so with concurrence of the ICC and included in the ICC calendar. It was not possible for SLC to change the venue so arrangements arrived at by the previous interim committee. Hence the present SLC administration was compelled to undertake this tour in the current form. The readers we trust have now got a true picture relating to the present Sri Lanka team tour to Australia and for playing the Two Test matches in Darwin and Cairns. The cricket loving public also, we are confident will come to realise that there are some mischievous and disgruntled persons are doing their utmost to mislead the public by constantly discrediting the board with false accusations. I would like to thank the media for their unstinted support, their patience and encouragement given to me throughout my career. I have always respected the media and been accessible to them in all matters. I would like to stress that the occurrence on the 15th of June 2004 was not an effort deliberately done to disrespect the media or to prevent them from doing their job. |
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