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16th March 1997

Tory heads committee to probe cricket AGM

By Annesley Ferreira

The Minister of Youth Affair and Sports, Mr. S.B.Dissanayake has appointed National Sports Council Chairman, Tory Jayawardena to head a one man committee to probe the proceedings of the recently concluded Annual General Meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.

Jayawardena has been told by the Minister to submit his report by Tuesday, March 25.

The Chairman has been empowered to seek a report on the conduct of the AGM held on February 2, from the Secretary Triphon Mirando.

Meanwhile the Sunday Times contacted Mirando who seemed unaware of the proceedings. "If there is going to be an inquiry, we are ready to face it", he said.

BCCSL Assistant Secretary resigns

Ajith Abeygunewardena in a surprise move tendered his resignation from the Ex-Co of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka citing that he was against Nihal Leuke being appointed as Manager of the Minor Districts Cricket team to tour India.

However, Abeygunewardena did not raise any objection to this appointment at the Ex-Co meeting held on Friday, March 7.

The appointment of Leuke as Manager of a team while holding office in the Ex-Co is not a precedent as Ranjith Fernando, Abu Fuard, Ajith Jayasekera, Mumtaz Yusuf, Nisal Senaratne, Carlton Bernadus, Ronnie Guneratne, M.Seevaratnam, Jayantha Paranathala, Duleep Mendis, to name a few played the role of Manager while serving the Ex-Co.

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The senior Cricket Board official has even gone to the Minister of Sports to get his support to have the defeated candidate appointed to the vacant Assistant Secretary's post.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times tried to contact Ajith Abeygunewardena to get his version of the resignation, but was told that he has gone to the United States on official business.

Schaffter writes to Sports Minister

S. B. Dissanayake Esq.

Hon. Minister for Sports Colombo 2.

Dear Sir,

I have read Mr. Surath Wickremasinghe's letter addressed to you in regard to the proceedings at the Annual General Meeting of the Board held on Sunday 2nd March. This letter was published in The Sunday Times.

Since he was not present at the meeting, I can only presume that Mr. Wickremasinghe has gone by hearsay.

Two references have been made to what I said, one of which is grossly incorrect, and I think I should correct the position.

1. When the question of Mr. Dharmadasa vacating the Chair arose, I explained that I agreed with Mr. Ponnambalam that sometimes a President vacated the Chair even though he had been elected unopposed when nominations were received. However, in the majority of cases the President continued to occupy the Chair, and I felt that this was the tradition of the Board of Control, and I felt therefore that there was no need for Mr. Dharmadasa to vacate the Chair. This was what I said at the meeting. When Mr. Dharmadasa's eligibility was questioned, I stated that in such a case, everybody at the meeting should have their eligibility questioned, because even to attend the meeting, they needed the same qualifications. This has been omitted from the letter.

May I add that the CCC are a 131-year-old Club, and have been present at most previous meetings. They never raised an objection to this procedure, which has often been followed and obviously are doing so now because they are piqued at the decision taken against them in respect of their participation in the P. Sara Tournament. That fact appeared to be obvious.

2. When Mr. Mirando's name was proposed, and Mr. Ponnambalam objected to him on the grounds of eligibility, I said that if Mr. Mirando's eligibility was being questioned, then my eligibility, (I have played for Sri Lanka), and that of Mr. Ponnambalam's should both be verified. That is what I said. I clearly said that my own eligibility should also have been checked. This fact seems to have been omitted in Mr. Surath Wickremasinghe's letter, and gives a completely different twist to what I said, and this is something, which I strongly resent.

The point I was trying to make was that nobody checked anybody's eligibility, until the meeting began and Mr. Ponnambalam could not decide to pick on people to test their eligibility.

For this reason I felt that Mr. Ponnambalam's constant protestations, that his objections were not personal, did not hold water.

It should be remembered that on an occasion like an AGM of the Board of Control, we are not conducting a meeting in accordance with Company Law and practice, and I think it is inappropriate for one person to get up unchallenged, and say that the conduct of the meeting is illegal and attempt to either to postpone the meeting, or have traditions changed. I think the safest guide in such a situation is tradition and convention which was in fact followed.

A careful reading of the Sports Law and the constitution of the Board of Control would perhaps enable participants at such meetings to save time and avoid unnecessary argument. Unfortunately Cricket has become the playground of parasites, sycophants and frauds, and the traditions of the game are being forgotten.

Since the original letter to you has been copied to the Press, I have no alternative but to do likewise.

Yours faithfully,

C.T.A. Schaffter

Perera, Mendis crack 100s

Nimesh Perera, the St. Sebastian's skipper cracked an unbeaten 102 in 72 balls and vice captain Duddhika Mendis scored 108 in 146 balls in their drawn Battle of the Golds Inter-School Big match with Prince of Wales at the Tyronne Fernando Stadium yesterday.

Record by Suda nga

An all time record by Sudanga Fernando of Trinity, who captured all ten wickets for 38 runs off 15.2 overs, was the highlight of their drawn 81st 'Battle of the Blues' cricket encounter against St. Anthony's at the Asgiriya Stadium yesterday.

Set to male 111 for a win Trinity were 67 for 3 in eight overs at the close.

St. Anthony's - 172 for 5 dec and 100 all out in 35.2 overs (S.Pinnaduwa 28, D.Witharna 19, M.Nizam 13; Sudanga Fernando 10 for 38).

Trinity - 23 for no loss overnight - 162 for 9 dec in 66.5 overs (D.Gunawardena 20, S.Moratota 10, Sudanga Fernando 16, N.Ekanayake 44, K.Weeraratne 43; S.Pinnaduwa 3 for 32, Tharaka Gunaratne 2 for 56, V.Weerakkody 3 for 28) and 67 for 3 in 8 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 16, K.Weeratne 18; S.Pinnaduwa 2 for 22)

SCOREBOARD

Prince of Wales first innings 198 for 8 declared

St Sebastians first innings 19 for 2 overnight

S. Silva st Prince b Cooray 28,
B. Mendis st. Prince b Fernando 108,
P. Jayawardena c Galketiya b Peiris 7,
N. Perera not out 102,
M. Fernando c Cooray b Fernando 30,
N. Wijesinghe c Cooray not out 14,

Extras 36,
Total - ( for 4 wkts in 61.3 overs) 325

Fall: 114, 141, 237, 277

Bowling: C. Galketiya 3-0-10-0; K. Fernando 4-2-12-0; S. Peiris 12-2-44-1; T. Silva 14-3-37-0; H. Fernando 21-1-117-2; D. Perera 2-0-15-0; N. Cooray 8.4-0-54-1.

Prince of Wales - second innings

H. Sampath c A. Mendis b N.Perera 32,
K. Fernando c M.Fernando b Mendis 18,
N. Cooray note 54,
D. Wannakuwatte c Jayawardena b Mendis 14,
H. Fernando c Laknath b Mendis 8,
N. Cooray not out 54,
C. Galketiya not out 0

Total - (at close for 4 wickets) 128

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