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In every sphere of activity there comes a time when your field of specialty becomes the centre of attraction. Then the next sticky question pops in to view. In banner headlines it reads –“Are you ready to take the challenge”?
This very important equation crossed my mind when I walked into the P. Saravanamuttu Oval press box to follow the development of the all important third and final Test match between India and Sri Lanka.
The stadium construction still at its basics. Pix by Sanka Vidanagama |
When I climbed the crescent and reached the media area I was rather taken aback. I felt that whoever was responsible had attempted to build a highway on a by-road only by using the facilities at hand.
Prior to that in the early session I also heard veteran broadcaster Mr. Anthony Greig complaining about the commentary box afforded to them and describing it as the smallest of that kind in the whole world. Then the visual flashed across the screen showing Greig almost hugging his co-commentator in a cooped up facility.
Then once I walked in reality in earnest it struck me and it did very hard at that. In Galle and at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds the large Indian contingent and the more than a handful of the local correspondents were going about doing their day-to-day activities without much ado. However at this venue the scenario was quite different, but the only redeeming factor was both gentries came from a similar culture and the conflict of interests were at the minimum and it was not the healthiest of situations for a international journalist to cover a match of that magnitude.
 Adding to the woes was the hard time that the media manager (who was in charge of the proceedings) had to face. At one juncture it was the print media complaining about the Air Conditioning facility running out of order. Once that was looked into it was the turn of the TV monitors to go blank. Then a little while later a member of media had some polite words to say when he found out that the taps had run dry.
Even for a minute do not think that this is a crusade against this Club or a certain individual. This is a concern about Sri Lanka being counted as an international cricketing destination and how we portray ourselves in the eyes of the cricket world.
We then turned to the SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga and asked him how they do their selection of facilities to play top grade ICC matches.
The SLC secretary accepted and said they were aware of the shortcomings at this venue and reiterated that they were in dialogue with the club authorities on the facilities at hand.
He added “When organising an ICC event we are bound by some ICC stipulations that governs International cricket and we have to follow them. Right now we do have a problem with grounds. In Colombo we have the SSC Grounds and the Oval as the two facilities that we could host an International match of this magnitude. I am aware that they have built the media facility on the existing space and it is not sufficient. The other ground at hand for a match of this nature is the Galle Stadium.
“When we take the SSC or the Oval we pay a sum of Rs. 600,000/- to the respective clubs who own the facility and run the games. This means the SLC makes an income from these matches, while the ground authorities are bound to provide the basic facilities”. Ranatunga said.
Speaking further on the logistical angle Ranatunga further added “Galle Cricket Stadium has a different issue. Under an agreement signed by the previous Interim Committee the SLC is bound to up keep the ground and also pay the salaries of the people who are employed at the Galle Stadium, but when there are matches the profit goes to the Province”.
This prompted us to pop another question which was a burning issue at the press box. We asked the secretary whether they were confident that the Khettarama Stadium, where one of the semi-finals is to be played, would be ready for the World Cup that would dawn in less than 200 days.
At present the Stadium looks like a part of Sri Lanka that was caught in the last stages of the near 30-year ethnic strife.
There wouldn’t have been anyone more confident that the SLC Interim Committee secretary Nishantha Ranatunga. He quipped “Right now according to the State Engineering Corporation who is handling the building works say that a part of the construction is 2 days behind schedule and the other part is 6 days behind schedule, however we are very confident that we can take charge of the ground by October. We even have scheduled some games when the ‘A’ team and the South African ‘A’ team plays their series.
The dressing rooms are not ready as yet, but, we are confident that we can play the matches, there, besides that some of the matches during the tour of the West Indies are scheduled there”
Good, if things are hunky-dory -- we have no complaints. But, ground facilities in a mega event of this nature opens a Sri Lankan window to the world and when that happens the picture that everybody sees inside better be good. |
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