Star wars at Maitland Place

If the slanging match between the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket and Asantha de Mel, chairman of selectors that is taking place is an indication, then when the final ball is bowled, it would be a collision and one big explosion.

If and when that happens, it would do irreparable damage, not only to the administration, the player and above all to the game. The reason for the two sides getting on to the collision street, was the tour of Abu Dhabi, which to say the least was farcical.

De Mel whose cricketing credentials are excellent and who was one of the finest fast bowling allrounders produced by the country, bowled the first bouncer when he said that the tour of Abu Dhabi should not have taken place, considering that the players were just after a gruelling World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.

He was also concerned of the player workload and burnout and that he has never heard of cricket being played in the searing heat of 45 degrees celsius.

But what was amusing was when he accused the Interim Committee of being hungry for money. Money, money is their concern, he is alleged to have said.

De Mel was to the point and what he said was pregnant with meaning and was well meant. The Sri Lankan cricketers played their skins out during the World Cup and that is what led them to the final which was great, and that is what prompted de Mel to bat for the players. But as quickly as de Mel delivered his bouncer, the Interim Committee got into line and hooked the bouncer saying that de Mel was well aware of the desert tournament and that it was confirmed during the World Cup.

The Interim Committee also says that the tour was confirmed with the consequent approval of the team hierarchy, the coach and the know and direct involvement of the chairman of selectors.

Finally the poser to the chairman of selectors by the IC is: would he have expressed the same sentiments had Sri Lanka won the Abu Dhabi series? That is churlish.

While the chairman of selectors and the Interim Committee keep firing at each other, the fact is that the game here has lost its credibility after the debacle that was the desert tournament.

The cricketers took wing to Abu Dhabi with great expectations, what with Sri Lanka being the second best in the world in this style of game. But now the game is wallowing in the desert after being blown over by a desert storm in the form of the Pakistanis.

But for us who have played the game at the highest level and followed and commented on its fortunes for well nigh four decades, player excuses of workload and burnout is unacceptable. Unacceptable considering that they are professionals. And professionals must be ready to play, with no excuses however good being accepted.

They are being paid big, big money for playing and that is their bread and butter and then it is paramount that they play. They cannot and should not be spoon fed.

Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitheran and Kumar Sangakkara who have been signed on by the counties in England are also playing after the same gruelling tour that was the World Cup.

The counties are not going to mollycoddle them. Vaas and Muralitheran would be bowled to the ground, while Sangakkara will have to score a lot of runs and excel behind the stumps to earn their money if they are to be re-signed next time round.

The Interim Committee earned US$ 750,000 from the desert tournament, not forgetting the billions awaiting them from the World Cup 2007. The players too will pocket millions soon. So the players need not be told that the more they play, the more money they earn.

World Cup 2007 was drug free

The International Cricket Council has announced that all drug tests for prohibited substances during the Caribbean World Cup produced negative results. There was a similar result from testing done during the ICC Champions trophy in India in October/November. These are the two top events that the ICC had conducted since it

signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code in July 2006. The World Cup which ran during March-April 2007, saw 15 of the tournaments 51 matches, including both semifinals and the final, plus two warm up matches, were randomly selected for testing with negative results.

That the World Cup was drug free puts to sleep the allegations made by unsporting critics against the cup winning Australian team that their awesome efforts indicated that they had taken performance enhancing drugs.

The Aussies must be appreciated for the marvellous cricket they played in winning nine matches in the World Cup tournament. Squash ball, or golf ball, the Aussies are the best with 5 1/2 ounce ball.