Time opportune

Is it a plausible argument to state that cricket in Sri Lanka took deep root in society owing to some big colleges like Royal, S. Thomas’, Ananda, Nalanda, St. Peter’s, St. Joseph’s, Wesley and St. Benedict’s from Colombo and a few schools from the Kandy region and the Southern capital of Galle took up to the game seriously and built up a sense of belonging towards it. The resulting craze over this game which was bestowed on us by the ruling Englishmen then spread among the clubs where the rulers could pick on some local talent to fill up their Xls for their Sunday afternoon social outings.

However like in neighbouring India the Sri Lankans too made a tradition of it and the game grew to such an extent from the mid 1940’s the tiny island was producing cricketers that the cricketing world took serious note of in the form of M. Sathasivam, F.C. de Saram and Ben Navaratne etc. This upward trend inched along till the International Cricket Conference held its inaugural World Cup and Sri Lanka came up with some brow raising performances in 1975.

However the biggest blow to local sport had befallen a year prior to that in the form of the ‘sports law’ which gave the incumbent Sports Minister powers to dabble with the internal administration of any local sports body brought forth by the then sports minister K.B. Ratnayake in 1974 who may have had a different agenda at that time.

Incidentally in 1976, Robert Senanayake who was the custodian of Sri Lankan cricket from 1957 in one trot had to let go his hold owing to new Sports Law that was introduced.

Senanayake was followed by Maj Gen B.R. Heyn, Dr. N.M. Perera and T.B. Werapitiya as the respective presidents.

Then in 1980 for the first time a non cricketing politician – a very powerful one at that time in the then administration – Gamini Dissanayake took over the reins. Besides his limited talent and knowledge of the game, he was a man of vision and charisma and he was largely responsible for Sri Lanka gaining Test Status a year later in July 1981.

Sri Lanka’s inclusion in the cricketing hierarchy induced more interest among people to take up positions in the administration, but, this exploded beyond comprehension when Arjuna Ranatunge led the Lankans to that memorable World Cup victory in 1996.
Gradually persons with vested interests started exploiting the situation and even bending the laws embedded in the sports law with the buck passing from direct rule to puppet rule and vice-versa till several sports ministers were forced to use their powers and set-up interim committees to look after the administration of Lankan cricket. However when the administration was expected to go back to normal, the crab walked sideways.

The status-quo dragged on until 2005 till the then sports minister Jeewan Kumaratunge set-up a fresh Interim Committee headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa.

There are disturbing stories that has hit the newsline about this reconditioned ‘long term’ Interim Committee. The most disturbing of them is the releasing of a sum of Rs. 3 million for this ground which is run by the local authority at Piliyandala for the construction of a parapet wall. Who ever is responsible for this act has to answer the question themselves whether they did it with a vested interest or not. (Picture by Ranjith Perera)

This committee also comprised Tryphone Mirando, Sujeewa Rajapakse, Adel Hashim, Rienzie Wijetilleke, Kumar Weerasuriya along with Damian Fernando who was a close relative of minister Kumaratunge. Soon after the appointments Weearasuriya and Wijetilleke pulled out of the committee, Mirando succumbed to an untimely death while visiting relatives in England and Hashim was removed from the committee.

The void of three was filled with two – K. Mathivanan and Prakash Schafter.

This committee after rolling for a year almost had a shock when the reverbs of another elections followed by an attempted takeover of the players association came upon. However the Interim Committee now over a year old got a reprieve and marched on strengthening their domain among the voting fraternity.

Upon another political somersault in which this column is not interested, brought on a change in the minister and cross over UNP stalwart Gamini Lokuge replaced Jeewan Kumaratunge.

Lokuge from the very inception was not very receptive towards the incumbent body and had more than a difference of opinion, but, appointed the same group once again with some marked changes. This time Damian Fernando and Prakash Schafter were replaced by the president of the players section Sidath Wettimuny, Lalith Wickremasinghe, well known sports administrator Dion Gomes and one time discontinued SLC employee and former commentator Premasara Epasinghe who is also known as an close ally of former SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala whose attempt to contest as president for yet another time was thwarted by the appointing of this Interim Committee in 2005 by Jeewan Kumaratunge.

Nevertheless now the committee comprises representation from all three main sections of the fraternity who are seeking a piece of the cake or the full one for themselves, but, now they are in one. An all party alliance is good as far as they all work for one common goal. However if they start running in different directions just to achieve their own political agendas this very committee can be more harmful to the game than any other one.

Just imagine at present Sri Lanka team is on a high lying fourth in the ICC table just behind India whose team our ‘A’ team nearly beat on neutral soil in England a few weeks ago. All is not hunky-dory but, our cricket is doing fine as things are. The worst that could happen is a collapse of the present status. If that happens whom are we going to hold responsible?