Cricket cries to the heavens for an AGM

Never in the history of cricket administration in the country, has a cricket body run into controversies and become so unpopular so quickly as the present Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Headed by former World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga who I deservedly tagged ‘Captain cool’, the Interim Committee is now the topic where ever sports fans gather, and the consensus is that the IC be dissolved without wasting much time and an Annual General Meeting be held.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Gamini Lokuge reiterated the other day, that elections would be held in November and that he has to fix a date. We urge the Minister to do this without wasting further time, because the administration cries out for justice. In saying this we are not trying to tell the Minister Lokuge what to do.

But we would urge the good Minister to quickly announce the date of the AGM of Sri Lanka Cricket, so that the cricketers and the cricket fans could heave a sigh of relief.

Encomiums would be showered on the Minister if he hurries things up. The problems in the Interim Committee stems from the fact that there is no team work. For anything to succeed, like in sport team spirit is paramount. Can the present IC put their hands up and say it is so.

In any organisation, the secretary is the live wire. But in the IC the present secretary has no say. He is not allowed to have a rapport with the media, which is so very important.

The IC in acting in such a haphazard manner is also discrediting the Minister. They are duty bound to keep him informed as to how they are going. But it is not so.

The IC does things that not only worries him but also antagonisies him. To the credit of other national sports bodies it must be said they don’t reverse sweep like the IC is won’t to do.

 Clarifications and denials

The Interim Cricket Committee of Sri Lanka has the knack or the efficiency of rushing out clarifications and denials, but when it comes to releasing a decision taken for the good of the game or the cricketers they are caught napping.

Take this for an example. The other day the IC decided to lift the ban on the players contracted with Indian Cricket League. The lifting of the ban was only to allow them to play the domestic tournaments and not being eligible for national representation.

But the media who cannot be faulted, because the secretary has been debarred from talking to the media, picked up the story and it went worldwide that the ban has been lifted and that the affected would be allowed to seek national representation.

The story went to have the Board of Control for Cricket in India fuming. The BCCI had an unwritten law forbidding those involved in the ICL be banned from the game, administration and any other involvement in the game.

The International Cricket Council, although not making it law, nodded its assent with the BCCI.

But with the Interim Committee not getting their priorities right in issuing a circular as to the decision, set the cricket world on fire.

Being apt at quickly releasing clarifications and denials, what the IC had to do was to immediately inform the media, the actual decision they made. Obviously those in the IC do not know or are ignorant the way the media works. They have a respected media man with them. But his pleas to release what is important to the media after a meeting has been ignored.

Pity that there had to be so much of heart burn, ill feeling and adverse publicity. We hope that IC will learn.

Not proved

Sri Lanka Cricket led by Thilanga Sumathipala was dissolved citing allegations as an excuse. But sadly these allegations were not probed and the culprits found. Instead an Interim Committee was named and allowed to carry on regardless.

In future when allegations are made, instead of rushing to dissolve, it will do everyone good, if first a probe is made and then if there are guilty ones to remove the guilty and not dissolve the controlling body.

The other day when Sumathipala was interviewed on a TV programme and asked whether he would like to head an Interim Committee, he flatly said that is not his style of batting. He further elaborated that he would want to face an election and exuded confidence that no one could front up to him and defeat him.

Players win the day

Minister Gamini Lokuge, who must be finding it easy to do politics than to run cricket affairs, has done well in allowing the IPL contracted players to honour their contracts. The players must be punching the air in elation.

He did not want to see to the calling off of the England tour. But said that the cricketers had to first honour their contracts, which were made much earlier because the England tour was an after thought.

The Minister was bulls eye in this aspect.

But with nearly twelve of the cream of Sri Lankan cricketers involved in the IPL, it would be interesting to watch whether England and Wales Cricket will accept a second string of cricketers.

Losing good men

Ajit Jayasekera the former Thomian and Adastrians opening batsman who was appointed to head the Tournament Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, must have done what he did with much reluctance.

For him to resign from the post that he adorned so gracefully and efficiently there must be reasons and very good reasons at that.

From what we gather, Jayasekera proved that he has a conscience and that he would not want to be a part of decision that to say the least is wrong and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Not wanting to be a part of a highway robbery, Jayasekera said enough is enough and the manner in which he acted and did is an example to other who seek office to just be ‘Yes’ men. Sports need men of your calibre, integrity and honesty Mr. Ajit Jayasekera.

Incidentally Jayasekera, when he was the manager of the Sri Lanka Cricket team did a marvellous job.

Mahinda Halangoda another Thomian and captain followed his old schoolmate Jayasekera and resigned from the TC too.

Clarification

The media manager, SLC IC writes - With reference to the article in these columns - headlined ‘Well done Ranatunga’ - the decision to release ICL players to represent local clubs for the premier league 2008 was taken with the consent of all IC members including the CE of SLC, and that none of the IC members objected to the above decision.

Can the media manager tell us what the CE was doing at the meeting and whether he is also a member of the IC and if so - (A) Who appointed him and (B) has the CE voting rights?