And the games people play
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It is seldom that one comes across a situation where certain reactions to actions taken by gifted individuals have brought forth unimaginable results. The results of those actions are so unfathomable that they may even be used as a case study in time to come.
To abate suspense… yes; we are on the subject of the cricket elections and the contributions of former Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake. We feel that he has lived by his father’s cricket credentials. The decision taken by Naveen Dissanayake to form the 2015 Interim Committee was one such contribution. Now it is up to the cricket-loving public to sit back and reap the benefits of his action.
It was not so long ago, there were allegations against some people, especially about how the refurbishing of the R. Premadasa International Cricket stadium and the construction of the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium and the Mahinda Rajapakse International cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa were carried out. This happened during the preparation for the Sri Lanka segment of the 2011 ICC cricket World Cup.
And the games people play
Instead of the exercise ending up as a profitable venture, the 2011 Cricket World Cup ended up in a colossal loss running into billions of rupees. This is the cross that the cricket administrators had to bear in the aftermath of the 2011 World Cup.
However, these allegations did not deter the prospectors from seeking the seats at the hallowed cricket hall. However, by then the ICC had other thoughts about having Interim Committees and in 2010 the world body began to push for elected bodies, as it believed Interim Committees were politically influenced.
In 2012, seasoned campaigner Upali Dharmadasa was elected unopposed as president of Sri Lanka Cricket. He was the head of the cricket Interim Committee until then. At the same time Nishantha Ranatunga was also voted in uncontested as secretary and Nuski Mohamed as Treasurer.
This development had its own upheavals. While these candidates were elected to the SLC, Mohan de Silva, a vice-presidential candidate, who was from the Thilanga Sumathipala team, claimed that the entire opposition had decided not to contest the elections as a “symbolic gesture of protest” against what they saw as political interference in the election process.
Many thought that it was the end of the Interim Committee concept with the ICC’s views prevailing upon some cricket administrations.A year later, Jayantha Dharmadasa was elected uncontested as Sri Lanka Cricket President while Nishantha Ranatunga was elected Secretary. K. Mathivanan and Mohan de Silva were elected Vice Presidents while Nuski Mohamed was elected the Treasurer.
Out of the mentioned, Mathivanan parted ways and stepped out of cricket administration subsequently, after he had differences of opinion with SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga while Mohan de Silva who earlier was in the Thilanga Sumathipala camp, showed his allegiance to the Ranatunga faction.
But this marriage of convenience was on the rocks mid-way, with Jayantha Dharmadasa and Nuski Mohammed toeing a different line to that of Ranatunga and company. The result of this split was both Ranatunga and Jayantha Dharmadasa seeking the post of president at the 2014 cricket AGM.
However, just prior to the elections; with the Ranatunga clan seemingly holding sway, Minister Navin Dissanayake decided to form an Interim Committee with Sidath Wettimuny as its head. The reason he cited for the Interim Committee was the allegations of various misdeeds committed in the pre-2014 era.
At the same time, the Interim Committee also had its own share of problems. The formation of an Interim Committee did not go well with the policies of the ICC. It took a lot of convincing for the ICC to come to terms with the existence of an Interim Committee. It is said that Navin Dissanayake gave an assurance that as soon as the probe is completed, they would go back to the ICC accepted norms.
Duly, the minister formed a three-member board of inquiry to probe the allegations of corruption said to have taken place from January 2012 to April 2015 at Sri Lanka Cricket.
Some of the questions the probe panel tried to find answers were:
- Whether proper and/or transparent procedures have been followed in the recruitment of staff to SLC, its headquarters and support staff for teams.
- Whether excess staff has been recruited by the SLC
- In providing funds to clubs and associations, whether a transparent, approved and/or acceptable procedure was followed.
- Whether any unwarranted overseas travel had been undertaken by the Executive Committee and other officials either during the overseas tours or otherwise.
- Whether the floodlights at RPICS have been removed.
Now the report is done and dusted — and accordingly all candidates, who sought election at the 2015 AGM, are free to contest again. All former executive committee members who were under a cloud have been given a clean slate and are with unruffled plume on their gear.
This is more than anyone — including Minister Navin Dissanayake — could ask for.
Meanwhile the Interim Committee has worked tirelessly to make several significant changes.
Now the Interim Committee is crowing about having a huge kitty in reserves. It also says it has solved the crisis over employment contracts by offering permanent slots to most of the employees. If not, like in the past, some people may have been working under duress.
The Interim Committee has changed the structure of the main tournament. The construction of the long awaited pool for the benefit of the national cricket squad is on its way. The new benefits are immeasurable.
However, at the same time the probe panel also sees certain flaws in the prevalent system. The panel members have noted that the basic problem in the administration of SLC is its composition where stakeholders from the far flung outposts of Sri Lanka decide what the future of the game should be. It has been intimated that certain individuals control dozens of votes and that they are the favourites of the elected office bearers. They also have noted that 147 votes among 86 stakeholders are unwieldy considering the volume and geographical magnitude of cricket in Sri Lanka is concerned.
We conclude, assuming nothing new happened during the past year at SLC other than the existence of the Interim Committee, which brought some superficial changes administratively. If not it only has helped to waste time and energy of the game to use the facility as an image laundry.
Come early January, the next AGM will be held and the same process will begin to live again. The same old faces. The same old habits and the same old allegations will begin to churn out and the cloning process of cricket evil will begin again.