 Following last week’s narration on accountability and good governance in cricket, I embarked on another thought and shared my views with some prominent past cricketers. They readily agreed and encouraged me to pursue the subject. The crux of the subject is: “cricket governed by cricketers for the development of cricket”.
On January 1, 2008, I was impressed when World-Cup winning former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga on his first day on the Sri Lanka Cricket head’s chair proclaimed that “the game of cricket should be run by cricketers”. Though it was put into action or not by the very person who said it, even at that time I felt it was a pertinent statement that should be practised if this game was to elevate to the next plane in this cricket-crazy country.
Yet if cricket is to take the upward trend with cricketers at the helm, it definitely should have a vehicle that is moulded for that purpose.
Once again in 2008 the Cricketers Association of Sri Lanka was a very healthy organisation. This was a body which was conceived and conceptualized by cricketers for cricketers. I remember when the then cricketers had a difference of opinion with the management of the then Sri Lanka Cricket with regard to their participation at the IPL and a proposed tour of England, they voiced their opinion through the Cricketers Association and magically it were the cricketers who won the day. At the same time when the cricketers were having a time in finalizing their annual contracts it was the Cricketers Association that did the negotiations with the cricket authorities and gave the cricketers a deal that they were satisfied with.
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| One of the memorable moments in Lankan cricket |
Therefore, in concept the Cricketers Association does have a major role to play in the day-to-day affairs of cricket.
Ironically, of late this association has apparently lost its way. After former Sri Lanka fast bowler Graeme Labrooy resigned as the president of the Association it looks a chicken in the butcher’s show case. It is headless. According to its secretary Ken de Alwis they are looking for someone to take over but, as yet no one seems to be interested.
Yet this column feels that it has a huge role to play in Sri Lanka Cricket and its future.
At this point we have to jump track on to the subject of cricket managers. I was wondering if this concept was really working towards the national cause while looking after the interest of the separate individual players.
While discussing this subject, a veteran cricketer who was giving ear to my argument enlightened me saying, “Cricket managers do play a huge role in a cricketers’ career. It is the manager who strikes the deals with other franchises, off-season cricket and cricket gear deals and commercials.” He pointed out that a cricketer’s life span in the arena is rather limited and a good manager could maximise it. That is the good side of things. At the same time, with the huge returns coming in once a cricketer starts hitting the right notes, the manager concept transforms into a cut throat business. So much so another cricketing great who knows how the cookie burns quipped that as far he knew there was only one good manager in this forum and this manager looked after the interests of only one player and that partnership had stood in good stead for sometime now – even after the cricketer’s retirement from big time cricket.
I remember at one point of time a cricket manager was so strong that a certain cricketer who was managed by a small fry was asked to change the manager. Hey presto, he was in the national squad and is still there. Then I learned about a certain middle order batsman who was pushed up over another as suddenly he found himself with the right manager and now he is with the crest in Queen’s Land. The list is longer but, it is best that we do not ponder too much on it.
Then the Musings asked Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga if the country’s cricketing body had an official stance on player managers. He said there was no official stand on player management, but added that “the managers should be full time professionals who are bound by a certain code of conduct stipulated by the Ministry of Sports”
My line of thought moves closely with that argument, but with another added link. I feel this is a golden opportunity for the Cricketers’ Association to step in. If they could work out a player management scheme and get the official body to make it mandatory it could work. Once a cricketer comes into the fray at the under 19 level in national cricket, the Cricketers’ Association picks a former cricketer who is a member to handle the young lad as his manager. Then the manager who has been in the arena as a past cricketer would know exactly what paths he should take to enhance the cricketing life of his protégée as at the end of the line he too stands to benefit from the deal in an official manner, but, bound by a code of ethics which is stamped by the main body.
At the same time the manager is also bound to flush out some money in return to the Cricketers’ Association so that it will have the resources to focus on other issues that involve cricket and cricketers.
In this manner there would be a chain link where cricketers work for cricket and cricket works for cricketers, but at the same time they are bound by their affiliation to the Association. Then both the Past Cricketers Association and the Past Cricketer who becomes a manager will also have the pride of wearing the national crest and the inner feeling that comes along with it. |
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