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| Saturday, 19 February 2005 |
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Hands off Galle The statement made by former cricket chief Thilanga Sumathipala to relocate the Test venue down South has not gone down very well with a great majority of cricket followers both here and abroad. They feel that the Galle International Stadium should remain a Test venue despite the damage it has undergone from the tsunami. "The next tsunami could be another 100 years away. Are we going to start shifting cricket grounds around the world which are closer to the sea?" asked one cricket fan from London. "If that is the case then the Caribbean islands and several other countries that have international cricket venues close to the sea are in danger of being affected," he wrote. Another worried cricket fan said: "They (Sri Lanka Cricket) should just rebuild the ground and stop making excuses. The chances of another tsunami in the next 100 years are ridiculously low. Are they going to relocate all coastal grounds around the world?" World and public opinion heavily favour Galle being retained as an international Test venue for many reasons. Apart from its historical value it has come to be regarded the world over as one of the most beautiful cricket venues with the 200-year-old Dutch fort providing a dramatic backdrop and part of the Indian ocean to its right. Since it was elevated to a Test venue in 1998, Galle has become a part of Sri Lanka's cricket history and a fortunate ground for the national team with a 6-2 win ratio in the 11 Tests played there so far. Considering all aspects retaining Galle as an international venue would be the best option left to SLC. Any attempt to take away the reputation it has gained both internationally and locally over the years as a Test venue will only make SLC unpopular which is not good for their image. Still on the subject of cricket grounds it can be safely said that the Asgiriya Cricket Stadium is in no danger of losing its status as an international Test venue. There is no provision in the ICC rules and conditions for an automatic removal of international status if a venue has not been used for a period of time. Our Kandy Sports Correspondent voiced concern over the future of Asgiriya because it had not hosted a Test match for nearly two years. Guess who's coming to dinner? The absence of the Sri Lanka cricketers at the 500-club charity dinner hosted by Sahana and the Muralitharan-Vaas-Gunasekara Foundation for the visit of Australian spin icon Shane Warne probably took the gilt out of the occasion. There were conflicting reports in the media about their absence. Public perception that they boycotted the event is unfair. The national cricketers are too important to be ignored for such an occasion. Public expectation was that the cricketers would be present when they purchased the Rs. 10,000 tickets for the dinner. But apart from Muralitharan, no member of the national team was there. Is it that they were not wanted for an occasion of this magnitude? Brendon Kuruppu, the Sri Lanka team manager said that no invitation was given to any of his players. "I don't see any reason why they have to go if they are not invited," said Kuruppu. Kushil Gunasekera of the Muralitharan-Vaas-Gunasekera Foundation said that no invitations was given to anyone with the exception of a few. He said the whole purpose of the dinner was to raise funds for the children affected by tsunami. Anyone wanting to attend the dinner had to purchase a ticket which would go towards the fund. "The cricketers in their own way are contributing towards the tsunami funds by playing in charity matches etc. They cannot be expected to be taxed further just to attend a private function," said Kuruppu. "As a principal we have decided that we are not going to be part of fund-raising activities in Sri Lanka. Whatever funds for the tsunami should come from abroad." What was intriguing is the absence of Chaminda Vaas, a founder member of the Muralitharan-Vaas-Gunasekera Foundation from the dinner. Hashan's new role Ex-Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne has also joined the national cricketers in helping out SLC with their tsunami Cricket-Aid program. Being appointed executive director of Cricket Aid has given Tillakaratne the opportunity to show his hand in a different field. He organized a cricket aid program at the Galle Stadium last Sunday which proved to be quite successful. Commenting on Tillakaratne's appointment, Cricket-Aid's chairman Thilanga Sumathipala said: "He is the ideal choice for the time being. He is not very old and he can blend with the current players He has got the respect from the other players and the cricketing fraternity being a past Test captain. I thought we made the right choice of a person." 'Give me the facilities I will work for cricket aid. I don't want a single penny', said Hashan. That's the spirit he has. His wife and the wives of other cricketers are all involved in this project. Cricket-aid needs two years to deliver the final program. Hashan is contracted with us for that period." Being involved in this humanitarian cause has not in anyway dimmed Tillakaratne's enthusiasm to make a comeback to Test cricket. At 37, he is still keen as mustard to get back into the Test side. |
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