Who created this bubble?
View(s):After reading our last week’s musings column where we wrote about the views of Sidath Wettimuny with regard to Sri Lanka cricket’s present status, someone called and said, “You have stirred up a hornet’s nest.” While parting with those sentiments he also added, “Why didn’t he come up with a solution? As it is, the situation looks rather glum. Yes, we appreciate his views. We still could say that even during those dark days in the island, it was the game of cricket which kept us together as a nation, but, what’s happening now is rather disturbing.”
But, as far as I am aware, even a cricketer of Wettimuny’s stature could only mumble “que sera sera”. As it is, even Wettimuny knows there is very little that could be done to clean up the stables.
Another reader called to say, “We are still paying for the sin of booting out Ana Punchihewa in 1996.” But, for that, my answer was, “It was he who created that bubble in ’94, by trying to revolutionise the game by making it more professional.” But, the ultimate result was, they killed the goose that lay the golden egg, and ended up with an egg of clay. Now, for the past quarter century, we have been trying to boil that damn thing.
Just imagine, at the end of the Wettimuny narration, he was wishing for so many ultimates but, we suppose nothing could be done. I learned recently, a former cricketer who reached the pinnacle of the game, but still opts to live outside the limelight, had mentioned to one of the highest government politicos about the present plight of cricket. The top politician promptly replied, “No, I will not get involved with matters pertaining to cricket.” It looks, as far as that politician is concerned, cricket has become a bad word for him.
This tournament is a 'District Tournament' manned by club players - File pic by Amila Gamage
Yes, we could now argue till we see the bottom of the Bundy, but, I do not think we could arrive at a plausible answer.
Yet, we could try to analyse the pros and cons of the system that has been established. Now Wettimuny said, “What is wrong is that we have put too many eggs in the club cricket basket.” Another ex-cricketer, a person who is also within the system, responding to the Wettimuny narration disagreed. He explained, “I am currently involved with the club cricket system and what we are getting is a pittance.” Yes, they are playing the Premier League and the Premier League Limited Overs Tournaments, and that’s it. The under-23 tournament is now a part of cricket history.
“Now they are looking at other tournaments like the u-19 Provincial Tournament and other allied engagements, and they are organised by the Provincial and District entities. But, in reality, do we have an established Provincial or District system at Sri Lanka Cricket. When did they establish that entity and how did it come into being,” the insider asked.
He mused, “Shouldn’t a gigantic project such as this get a proper christening? Shouldn’t the entire cricketing lot of this country be conversant about its mechanism? Well, what they are trying to do now is to change the face of local cricket, which, I feel, is long overdue. But, I cannot see how this earmarked programme rises to the level of a fully fledged alternative to the established game in the country.”
He added, “For instance, how did the authorities form the nucleus of the present District and Provincial entities in Sri Lanka? Who is responsible for that move? Who are the people manning such stations and what are the cricketing backgrounds of such people who are already within these Stations/sub-stations? Obviously, when such a unit is established, they should have a body. For instance, if it is the Central Province Cricket Association, it should have a legally elected body. If it is so, who are they and what is their financial commitments, and do these Provincial and District Associations have the wherewithal to conduct such well organised tournaments on their own. If not, are people manning such entities only satellites placed by vested interests who are still within the system, while this whole exercise is a ruse to generate votes at an AGM?”
Finally, giving his view of the state of affairs, he said, “What we need right at this moment is only a lean and mean tournament which plays very competitive cricket, and you can call it anything you like. But it should not have more than eight teams in it. I just can’t understand why we cannot accomplish this simple task.”
Now, these are two sides of the same coin and it does not paint a pretty picture at all. This year, even the Provincial four-day tournament will not be in the calendar!
If this is the status quo, the whole jigsaw is still in a huge jumble. Once, Michael Tissera — another veteran cricket administrator — was explaining to me about one of the solutions they had arrived at. He gave details of a system that was governed in two tiers. At the apex was this set of professionals and cricketers — less than five in number. They would run the international segment of Sri Lanka’s cricket. Then, in the second tier was the club cricket structure which would be run in the same fashion as today, with the monies being earned and pumped in by the apex body.
Then, one of the best cricketing brains in the modern era, Mahela Jayawardena, outlined a tournament structured in a Provincial module. There would be an X number of provinces manned and managed by professionals, with separate profit centres.
From what the ‘Musings’ has gathered, even the present administration knows what is required, but where they have gone wrong is that they have mixed up the need of the hour with the next cricket AGM. For them, their main focus is the vote, not any move aimed at taking the game to the next level. This attitude has not helped the cause at all. It is only pulling the game backwards.
The present administration, initially, professed to be built on five pillars — or five top officials of SLC — backed by a team of professionals to run the game. The five pillars were the Sri Lanka Cricket President, the two Vice Presidents, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary. With time taking its toll, one pillar crashed to the ground and another is about to collapse. Ironically, the promised team of professionals never set foot at SLC.
We ask why they can’t get the help of people such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena who are still in the forefront of international cricket. Mahela is already in the ICC system, while helping out even in the IPL setup. Kumar Sangakkara is scoring centuries for Surrey and is an ambassador for the ICC. They would know the latest gimmicks of international cricket. Certainly, they are in a position to help our game.
Yet, what is now happening is a drive to divide the ’96 Champion combination. They won the ICC World Cup as a unit, but now, they are in two groups. One is working for the system as paid servants, while the other lot is not willing to run with the wind.
Yet, at the same time, like what Wettimuny said, the projects which were mooted to up the facilities for the cricketers were abandoned. Instead, the Dambulla stadium was reborn. It looks as if someone has mixed up their priorities. First, they must hone their skills before setting foot on the international turf. It looks as if they have not heard of that age-old slogan — “First to Bata and then to School”.