Minister did right in cancelling SLC elections

It is well and good that the elections and the annual general meeting of Sri Lanka Cricket had been cancelled. It was to be held last Saturday.

When it was announced that elections, ridding the SLC of the interim committee was made, every sports person and especially those with the game of cricket at heart heaved a sigh of relief.

There was frenzied activity with sides fielding their best men come the elections.

After much bickering, when nominations finally closed there were only two teams in the fray. One led by former President Mohan de Silva and the other by the incumbent interim committee chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa.

Both exuded confidence of winning and so the stage was set for a no holds barred election. The pitch was laid and when the teams were readying for the match of matches, the Minister of Sport who was going to be the umpire as it were, suddenly queried the pitch, and declared that there was not going to be any play, because the teams were not going for runs, but were poised to go for the man.

The umpire reasoned that the teams, whether they won or lost could take the result to court and seek legal redress, thus depriving the administration and the game here of further progress.

Gone are the days when winning or losing was not what mattered, but how one played the game. The big money that is being dangled today, is what has buried these wonderful habits and virtues not only among players but also the administrators.

The umpire's reasoning was quite sound. Tomorrow the South Africans led by the first coloured player to lead South Africa Ashwell Prince would be arriving for a Test and one-day series that would also include India.

Later Sri Lanka would be touring New Zealand and then padding up for the all-important World Cup in the Caribbean. So the umpire, in saying that this is not the time for elections, was probably making the right decision.

But in favour of the two contesting teams, it would be pertinent to ask the umpire: Why did he not think of this, before declaring it was time to shed the interim committee and replace it with an elected body?

Anyway the decision has now been made and we hope the teams will take it in the spirit that it has been made. Fence mending is the only panacea for the ills that are now afflicting the game and the administration.

Accepted that one side will have disgruntled individuals. That is human nature. How the umpire or the Minister could overcome this is by inviting some of the players from the opposing side, to play for the interim committee that he intends extending very soon.

If the minister does just this, it would blow out the flames of hatred that could be existing in those who have been ruled out or disgruntled.

The minister would be further admired if he could summon both teams and explain to them the valid reasons he has for putting off the eagerly awaited elections of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Kandy do it again

Kandy Sports Club maintained their stranglehold on the league tournament when they carried away the Caltex Trophy for a record sixth time by beating the Red Shirts in a well contested game at Longden Place on Sunday.

It was a contented and smiling Chief Executive of Caltex Kishu Gomes who gave away the trophy to Kandy skipper Sajith Mallikaratchchi at the conclusion. Caltex must continue to power rugby. This match was eagerly awaited and it provided the wildly cheering spectators with rugby from the top drawer.

If the Red Shirts were to take the trophy away from Kandy they had a herculean task to perform. They had to win by a six point margin and in the process plant four tries.

They tried, but the Kandy fortress was impregnable.

When Kandy's amazing success is being spoken about, the men who readily come to mind after the players are Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte, the President, and Malik Samarawickrema who could be termed the guardian angel of their rugby.

Samarawickrema has done wonders over the years and Kandy would be looking to him to guide them to more honours in the future.

Also one can't forget their former coach DIG Nimal Lewke who now heads the Special Task Force, Kishin 'my way' Butani and 'King' Hassen Singhawansa, who steered them in their formative years.

The players have shown their gratitude and won trophies in monotonous regularity.

But in the glow of this success, it is sad to hear that Kandy intend pulling out of the Clifford cup Knockout trophy.

Kandy could show that they are a great team by playing in any conditions and winning.