Mendis, Kaluperuma and Aravinda to prop SLC’s sagging fortunes
View(s):By the time the defense ICC T-20 World title is done and dusted by the end of March, it is likely that cricket’s on field management will see some new titles added to some old war horses.
Duleep Mendis, currently coaching Oman, will join Sri Lanka
Most of these changes are likely to be from the Lankan team’s preparations for the forthcoming tour of England in June this year.
Initially when the renewal/naming of the selection from April this year, it is said that Lalith Kaluperuma – who represented the country as an off spinner would be heading that panel.
Prior to this Kaluperuma acted as the chairman selection committee in 2006. In February this year, in what may be termed as a precursor of things to come, the task of selecting the local T-20 tournament players had been entrusted with a new set of cricketers, while Kapila Wijegunawardene’s selection team was still in office. The Provincial Selection team which accomplished that task was – Lalith Kaluperuma (Chairman), Asoka de Silva, Eric Upashantha, Gamini Wickremasinghe and Gamini Perera.
The post of manager of the national team also will go to a veteran allrounder. He is none other than former national skipper Duleep Mendis who will relinquish his duties as the coach of the cricket team of the Sultanate of Oman.
Mendis like Kaluperuma played the inaugural Test for Sri Lanka in 1982 and was also the manager of the Sri Lanka team when Sri Lanka won the 1996 ICC World Cup under Arjuna Ranatunga. Like the Sunday Times reported on an earlier occasion Aravinda de Silva’s name has resurfaced to be appointed as Director Coaching of the National team once again.
Last week Sri Lanka cricket management passed a staggering 750,000 million rupees to the National Development Fund where the custodian would be the SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala. One of the main items in the pipeline is the lighting up of the Dambulla Cricket Stadium, which has been out of commission for some time now.
However cricket insiders are abuzz with the news with that Sri Lanka cricket has made some controversial appointment to some person who supported Sumathipala during their election campaign.
The appointments have been made as consultants for a period of three months at a monthly take-home pay of Rs. 150,000. The appointees are – Anura Weerasinghe ( From the Colombo District Association)—National Development Committee, Priyantha Soysa (Panadura SC) – National Development Committee, Chrishantha de Silva (Moratuwa SC) – Human Resources, Hemal Mendis (Cambrians) Coaching, Indrani Ariyaratne (Moratuwa SC) – Women’s Cricket Development.
Meanwhile on Tuesday Parliamentary COPE committee will probe the SLC for activities during 2014—under the tenure of the then SLC President Jayantha Dharmadasa.