Cash-strapped SLC raises selectors allowance over 200%
In spite of the prevailing cash crises, Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to increase the allowances of the national selection committee members by over 200 per cent.
In a sweeping move when the new selection committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya (Chairman) and including Eric Upashantha, Chaminda Mendis, Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Hashan Tillekeratne was appointed, it was decided to have two paid full-time selectors among them. For this task Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Hashan Tillekeratne were drafted with a monthly allowance Rs 225,000. The rest were paid the customary allowance of Rs 80,000.
The national cricket selectors are in for a bonanza
However at the last meeting, in a very generous move the SLC executive committee decided that the allowance that the selectors received was not sufficient. At the meeting Jayasuriya, who is now deputy posts minister, was requested to leave until the subject was discussed. Following this, the ex-co agreed that the present allowance was not adequate and it should be revised with immediate effect. As a result Jayasuriya as the head of the selection committee would receive Rs.200,000 while Eric Upashantha and Chaminda Mendis would receive Rs 175,000 each.
Explaining the move a Sri Lanka Cricket executive committee member said, “I think the present selectors deserve this impetus. The executive committee took the decision to increase the allowances on its own. The selectors did not ask for it. In the past selectors did not go and witness matches. But the present selectors are there at most of the matches – even junior matches. They are putting in a lot of effort and we feel that they deserve it”.
The SLC executive at the meeting also decided to revamp its media advisory committee of it. This move comes after one of the members of the media advisory committee confronted a member of the ex-co at a public forum.
This ad hoc pay increase for the selection committee has not pleased the insiders at the cricket headquarters. Irate employees of the SLC charged that the cash flow is almost drained. One of them said, “After the board distributed 25 million rupees among the clubs, our cash balance has come to almost zero and we have stopped payment for most of the services. Only the 5 million rupees which we received from Hameedia’s is in the Bank and it is being used as to facilitate the petty cash flow, but we don’t have any money for other expenses.”
The employee further charged that most of the monies distributed among the clubs last week may not be utilised for the intended purposes. He said: “At big clubs like SSC, NCC and the CCC there are very strong committees and the monies received by them will be used in the proper manner, but, there are some clubs that have no club house and the club chief’s wife is the treasurer. Besides that most of the cheques that were given were collected by executive committee members. The board may be able to keep a track on the money given to top clubs, but it would be very difficult to keep a tab on the money given to one-man shows”.
He also said that in a few days’ time the New Zealand team is due to play a short series in Sri Lanka, but questioned if the board has the necessary cash to meet the expenses as there are no impending cash inflows in the near future.
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