The Fifth Column

28th March 1999

Staying at top is harder than reaching it

"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is all this fuss about the Cricket Board elections?"

"Ah, yes," said Percy, "that seems to have assumed greater importance than even the Provincial Council elections."

"But why is that?"

"Because", Percy said, "being President of the Cricket Board is being more powerful than, say, the Chief Minister of the Western Province...."

"Why do you say that?"

"I suppose you become an internationally famous person: even the money involved is many millions of rupees, they say...."

"I thought this election was also a battle between the UNP and the PA...." Bindu said.

"Why do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, thaaththa, the President's uncle is contesting on one side...."

"But" Percy argued, "they say that all the Ministers are supporting the other chap...."

"That is not surprising, thaaththa," Bindu argued.

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, anyway most of the President's Ministers do the opposite of what she wants...."

"That maybe true" Percy conceded. "but in this case even the President's Media Advisor is helping the President's uncle...."

"But they say that he also has the support of many UNPers...."

"Well" said Percy, "businessmen see only profits, Bindu. They don't care whether the person at the top is a UNPer or a SLEPer....."

"But what do you think of people who have not played cricket at the top level heading the Cricket Board...."

"There is nothing wrong with that, of course...."

"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"

"Why, Bindu, then we would have to have say, a doctor being the Health Minister...."

"But thaaththa", Bindu argued, "now we have a lawyer as the Health Minister and see what a mess he has made....."

"That's true" Percy conceded, "but we do have a Professor of Law as Justice Minister and he is not a great success either....."

"Then," Bindu asked, "What is your solution....?"

"A former cricketer may not be the best choice for President of the Cricket Board; but then neither is a person with political connection, for that matter. What we need is a good administrator."

"But thaaththa" Bindu wanted to know, "what will all this do to our cricket team...."

"Well," Percy said, "if you think that changing heads at the Cricket Board will reverse our fortunes in cricket, you are bound to be disappointed...."

"Why do you say that?"

"The fact is, Bindu, we are playing with virtually the same team that won the World Cup for us but now they are three years older...."

"So, what do you think will happen at the World Cup?" Bindu asked.

"I think our cricketers will learn a very important lesson at the World Cup...." Percy said.

"And what's that, thaaththa?" "It's the same lesson that our President is learning now, Bindu...."

"And that is?" "It's harder to stay at the top than to get there...."

Bindu didn't disagree.

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