The SLC Cricket Committee’s vision of pulling alley-driven local cricket and making its national unit the number one team by the year 2015 seems to be challenged by the clubs. The Cricket Committee in its proposal has emphasised that the changes proposed by it would guide the country’s cricket side “to be the number one [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Cricket and clubs on collision course

By S.R. Pathiravithana
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The SLC Cricket Committee’s vision of pulling alley-driven local cricket and making its national unit the number one team by the year 2015 seems to be challenged by the clubs.

A Premier League match in progress during the last season. - File picture

The Cricket Committee in its proposal has emphasised that the changes proposed by it would guide the country’s cricket side “to be the number one ranked team in all formats of the game” while enabling Sri Lanka “to produce the most competitive first class tournament in domestic cricket.” To achieve that goal the CC has recommended the following changes to the existing domestic cricket structure:
n Tier ‘A’ clubs to be retained in the year 2012/2013. No relegation to take place. Winner from tier ‘B’ to be included along with three outstation clubs. This would be the only first class club tournament.

Tier ‘B’ clubs to play as per the current format. (Eight Teams) Two day.
One team to be promoted from Sara for the 2012/2013 season to Tier ‘B’.
Premier ‘A’ first round games to be played on league basis and to be divided into two groups. (Six games per team)
Top four teams from each group to play in the super league.
The bottom three teams will play in a plate round to determine the club to be relegated.
The relegation shall not apply for Kandy, Galle and Kurunegala teams for the next three years. In the event one of the outstation teams or all three teams have the lease not of points the team immediately above will play the relegation match with the winner of Tier ‘B’ to determine the club to get relegated. (The relegation match will last for three days.)
The bottom team of tier “A’ and the winner of the premier ‘B to have a playoff to decide relegation.
Sara and Donovan will be amalgamated and divided into 8 or 10 groups depending on the No. of teams.
The last team of each group will be relegated to play in division three of the following year.
Tier ‘A’ clubs will be given the option of including a second team in this group and will not either get promoted or demoted for a period of five years.
The under 23 tournament in existence to be made an under 22 competition and made into a provincial tournament and played over three days. (Under 23 club tournament is not recommended)
Provincial one day, four day and the T20 to be played as per the current format of the T20. (Names as per the SLPL tournament)
First Class clubs to be clustered into seven provinces in order to select the teams and to for the clubs have ownership and governance.
Tournaments scheduled to be continued for a period of five years irrelevant of the FTP and availability of players.
Besides the changes, the CC has also recommended that the players in each category should be paid varying sums according to the grade that they are in.

However it seems that the clubs are not prepared to take the changes in their stride.

The Sunday Times also learns that when the proposed changes were tabled at the executive committee meeting, the President of the SLC and the two vice presidents voted against the move but, they were in a minority.

In a letter addressed to the President of Sri Lanka Cricket, a group of clubs have stated, “We have been made to understand by media reports and reliable sources that the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to amend and change the current domestic tournaments in the country, which covers the Tier A and B as well as the U 23 and the Sara trophy.

“We wish to commence this note in the most polite terms and remind you that in the past too various Interim Committee’s have attempted to change the existing tournaments in the country, though it was first discussed with the relevant participants i.e. the clubs. However as a body elected by the members we are both disappointed and surprised at the attitude of the current Executive Committee for not consulting the clubs before deciding on such a change.

They ended the letter by stating, “Therefore as a body that has been elected by the membership we are of the view that you should have consulted the clubs and discussed your proposals before planning to implement it.

“We sincerely hope that you will even at this stage invite the officials of the clubs for a meeting and permit them an opportunity to air their views on the matter. However if the SLC intends to proceed with its stubborn and unfriendly stance towards cricket the Clubs of Sri Lanka represented at all levels will have no hesitation but to seek redress from a higher authority.”




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