CDCA appeals to President for cricket AGM

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Cricket : A meeting initiated by the Colombo District Cricket Association, the largest single association with a membership of 45 clubs decided yesterday to make an appeal to President Mahinda Rajapakse to hold the annual general meeting for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The meeting held at the SSC and attended by a large majority of the CDCA and SLC membership resolved on two resolutions, both of which were unanimously approved. That is to make an appeal to the President of the country to direct the Minister of Sports to hold an AGM and, to circulate the audited statements of accounts for the financial year immediately to the general membership of SLC for adoption of completion of the annual audit by the Auditor General.

"We think an AGM is a necessity because we feel that cricket in this country has been diluted to a huge extent especially with the provincial and district cricket tournaments not being held and the Premier tournament being expanded to 20 clubs," said Colombo DCA president Nuski Mohamed who chaired the meeting.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer and SLC vice president Aravinda de Silva said that the majority of national cricketers were in favour of the provincial tournament because it was initiated to try and help first-class cricketers in the country and to create a competitive structure for the youngsters to make sure they are well prepared for international cricket before they enter the scene.

Former SLC president Mohan de Silva under whose tenure of office the Sports Minister decided to suspend the activities of the SLC executive committee almost a year ago, said: "Our activities were suspended citing various reasons one of them was this so called financial mismanagement.

Unfortunately up to now we have been deprived of a hearing or no charges have been framed against us, thus violating all norms of natural justice."

"The fundamentals of natural justice demands that a fair hearing is given. We have been denied that opportunity. This is the reason why we have waited for so long and come before our membership to seek their views. I am happy about the response that we have received today from them," he said.

De Silva further reiterated that the Sports Law provided the Sports Minister to deal with anyone if they had done wrong.

The Sports Ministry had in the first week of January sent a circular that elections would be held to sports bodies which are currently administered by interim committees by the end of March. But so far nothing to that affect has taken place.

Michael de Zoysa, a former assistant secretary of the Cricket Board and an administrator for over 30 years said: "One thing that were learnt when we worked in cricket was for fair play and justice. We have not been given either."

Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne said that it is almost ten years since the country won the World Cup and it is sad to say that the standard of cricket has deteriorated to a stage where even our national senior and junior teams are getting beaten by a country like Bangladesh.

"Before our cricket reaches rock bottom we hope the President of the country gives us a fair hearing and paves the way to hold elections and let an elected body administer cricket," said Tillakaratne.

Former Sri Lanka cricket stars Ashantha de Mel and Brendon Kuruppu and other SLC officials were also present.