SLSCA secretary sees no wrong in STC’s action
View(s):The Sunday Times learns that the cricket authorities of Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa are seriously contemplating on raising an official objection to the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) and the Ministry of Education against S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia. The objection according to Akila Bandara, the cricket Master-in-Charge of Prince of Wales’ is related to the Thomians ‘poaching’ two of their key players from the Under-17 cricket team.
SLSCA secretary Dilshan de Silva says there is nothing that they could do as no wrong has been committed.
“This is a serious situation where a national school has to give into the luxuries provided by a private school. We have lost two of our key players, the captain and the vice captain of the Under-17 Division I cricket team, simply because of the difference in class of facilities. We raise them from the grassroot level, train them to become top players and within a matter of days they are pinched by another. If these kind of acts persist, what will be the state of a national school like ours,” an annoyed Bandara questioned.
Two of the key players of the Cambrian Under-17 side, fast bowling allrounder Shenal de Silva and top-order batsman Ravindu Sasanka, who were appointed captain and vice captain respectively, have been registered with the SLSCA under S. Thomas’. The duo has played a couple of games for S. Thomas’ according to reports but according to Dilshan de Silva, the Secretary of SLSCA, it’s a matter that the two schools should settle and not the higher authorities.
“If you take the case from the point of Prince of Wales’, yes it’s unfair. Then again it’s more unfair from the players’ end, because things have taken place on their own will with their parents’ support. We, as the SLSCA has very little or no role to play, even if Prince of Wales’ decides to raise an objection because S. Thomas’ has produced all valid documents to register the two players,” Dilshan said.
Dilshan further explained that the two cricketers were transferred from Prince of Wales’ to S. Thomas’ for G.C.E. Advance Levels and according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education they are eligible to represent their new team. “There is a circular issued by the Ministry of Education which allows students entering another school at Grade 5 and after G.C.E. Ordinary Level stages to represent the new team. In this case, the two players were originally registered with Prince of Wales’ but they did not play any matches for them. Last week they were registered under S. Thomas’ and after the process both have played for the new team. According to our regulations any player can be registered more than once, by several teams but with valid documentation. This is the usual form even at the club level. But the moment a player represents a team, his registrations with other teams will become null and void,” he added.
Meanwhile according to S. Thomas’ cricket coach, Dinesh Kumarasinghe the players were not poached by them as alleged by Prince of Wales’. He stated that the two players were among the applicants that had responded to an advertisement that was published in local newspapers.
“Annually S. Thomas’ take in around 60 to 70 students for higher education. Among them we get skilled sportsmen. But there are requirements to fulfill such as; a student needs at least five ‘A’ passes from the G.C.E. O/Ls. These two have completed the requirements but as some say they are not here under scholarship schemes. But we do have programmes to help skilled students on extracurricular activities through our Old Boys’ Associations. They come through the proper procedure and the school’s goal is to make them skilled citizens. These things have been happening for over three decades now and there are many who have benefited through this,” Kumarasinghe explained.