How to fix a probed fix?
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Remember cricketer D.H. de Silva? Unlike his younger brothers Somachandra and Premachandra, Hemachandra did not get the honour of donning the National crest on his cap. Nevertheless, he remained a cricket legend in his own right.Those who have played cricket with him have more than an anecdote to relate about him. A founder member of the Nomads Sports Club, he was well known for his astute leadership qualities and, more than that, his calculated approach to the game.
They say that DH, as he was always known, went into a game with a little notebook in his pocket. In that, he had the necessary information about the state of the tournament as at then and, especially, the game they were involved in. There he would have the necessary information about how his side could score an additional bonus point or, deprive the opposition of same.
The year I cannot remember, but we are aware of the famous or, infamous, NCC-Nomads game that DH captained and flammoxed the entire opposition and the tournament as such. The NCC, playing under the then National captain, Michael Tissera, needed some Nomads wickets in their bag to gather some bonus points. But shrewd Nomads captain DH closed the inning after facing only one ball. This move thus deprived the NCC of the necessary points to take custody of cricket’s premier trophy that year, they say.
Well, what I am trying to emphasise is that, within the annals of our own cricket, we have had quite legitimate ways of not only fixing matches, but fixing whole tournaments. Yet, the difference was that, it was done within the laws of the game prevailing at that time, and it only needed a judicious and calculated mind to translate a thought into action.
Yet, the game put on exhibition at Panadura in the recent past, is still emanating an unbearable stench. We, at this end, describe that as a very poor translation of a thought on how to alter the fate of a game. Certainly, blatant match-fixing cannot be condoned.
Now the persons who were initially entrusted with inquiring into this charade, have made matters worse. Now the incident has got into to an unfathomable quagmire. At the moment, it looks as if the real culprits are home and dry. Someone’s crooked scheme to alter the game unfairly has been thwarted, — and justly, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has been promoted to the Premier Tier ‘A’.
If the Panadura SC-Kalutara PCC game was played on an even keel, Panadura SC would have remained in Premier Tier ‘B’, and as things stand, the status quo has not changed. At the same time, Kalutara PCC would have been relegated to Division II, and that too has not changed.
Now, with the relaxing of the ban on the 22 players (even on a temporary basis, till such time their appeals are considered), they are also home and dry. May be, if the appeals also get dragged in the same manner the inquiry was dragged, the players may be able to take part in the SLC Preparatory tournament due to begin next week.
Our concern is, when will the real perpetrators of this heinous act be brought to book. Now, it is not a secret there was match-fixing during this tournament. Initially, the players were subjected to that ban because they refused to give evidence when called up to do so. But, it was learned that, how a certain official hoodwinked the entire inquiring setup, when he played a dirty trick on the SLC.
On that particular occasion it is learned, the players were brought right to the spot to give their explanation of what took place during the game. But, the sleazy official walked into the inquirer’s office, spent a few minutes there, and then took the entire brood back, saying the matter was okay and everything was hunky-dory. Only when the ban was imposed on the players that they saw the light of day.
Especially, Test cricketer Chamara Silva, who has a reputation to live by, fought hard. It is learned that he brought the matter up seriously and promptly fired a letter through his lawyer Kalinga Indatissa, to the SLC. This set the SLC house on fire. The goose was cooked; they had to promptly back off and bring the players back on-board.
We learned how, at one juncture, Chamara Silva turned his back on an SLC contract, when he had the option of playing League Cricket overseas. This was revealed to the Sunday Musings by a former SLC Secretary.
Yet, we learn there was match-fixing as far as the Panadura SC-Kalutara PCC game was concerned. We learned how some players were discouraged to field properly or, bowl to a set field, during that fateful game.
At the same time, the purpose of getting a player such as young Ayana Siriwardena – yet a schoolboy, to be a part of that game is shameful. This young lad has a future in the game. Didn’t the Kalutara PCC know about the presence of this lad, and why didn’t they courteously ask him to stay away prior to the game?
When he was given the ban he was in a depressed state of mind. Do you think he would ever forget this incident or, he would ever take any official into his confidence, in the future? I am sure he would always keep looking over his shoulders.
At the same time, how can we forget the officials of both clubs. People such as Ravin Wickremaratne and Aruna de Silva are pivots even of the SLC system. Yet, up to now there is no mention about their part in the deception.
Lankans, in general, have this good-natured habit of forgetting things over a period of time. We wonder if this matter, too, will be limited only to a file cover in the future, even though there still is a committee of three going through the match-ban appeals, while there is a separate probe prepared by the Ministry of Sport.
They say time is a great healer, but this norm should not befall this episode.
| Ayana Siriwardena | |
Last week in our story on October 1 on Sunday Times section II – “Match fixing conundrum takes another twist” we inadvertently carried the photograph of Sunjula Abeywickrema instead of Ayana Siriwardena. The error is regretted. |