SLC sets new World Cup record

Spends Rs. 23 million on officials:

From our Cricket Correspondent

Sri Lanka is set to establish another world record, this time with a 20-member team of officials for the ICC World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.

Informed sources said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is to spend nearly Rs. 23 million to meet travel, accommodation and other incidental expenses of some 18 persons who will make a joy ride.

The ‘team’ of official include even family members of some VIPs and a couple of more names are to be included to make it a world record 20-member team of officials from Sri Lanka.

A senior official of Sri Lanka Cricket, the richest sports governing body here, said they are to meet expenses of 18 persons, including five people who will be from SLC. “There have been various requests and we have to accommodate 18 people in the tour party as officials,” he said when ‘Daily News’ contacted him.

Sources confirmed that Sri Lanka Cricket, which even struggled to pay salaries of nearly 100 employees recently, will have to spend a huge sum of Rs. 22 to 23 million to meet the huge bill of the ‘strong’ team of officials from Colombo.

“Various requests have come from SLC, the Ministry and other quarters. There is an unknown female in the tour party. We don’t know from where she is. We only know the contact from which she has come,” sources added.

However, Media Manager of Sri Lanka Cricket, Samantha Algama said he is unaware of any such move.

But well-informed sources confirmed that all arrangements have been made for the smooth departure of the team of officials.

It is a pity that Sri Lanka Cricket Ex-co is spending lavishly on this type of joy rides.

Those are hard-earned money. Our cricketers sweat to fill the SLC coffers and a few irresponsible officials spending those funds lavishly to treat their families and friends.

The SLC must immediately stop this type of unnecessary spending and utilise the valuable funds to support poor schoolboy cricketers in the provinces.

Rs. 23 million is not a joke. Perhaps, that may be a negligible sum for SLC officials who spend lavishly. But we could have invested that for the development of rural cricket.

Several member clubs and associations of the SLC were critical of the move and alleged that the SLC Interim Committee is misusing the funds. “They alleged that the elected SLC Ex-co of financial mismanagement.

They were sacked and there was no proper investigation even. See what the interim officials are doing now? They are having their own way as they are not answerable to the member clubs and associations - the general membership of the SLC,” a club official said.

He said it is high time the sports-loving President took prompt action for the betterment of the game and stop the raw travel deal.