Cricket: SLC renegotiate with Whatmore

In the most important of coaching division, the SLC authorities have decided to have yet another round of talks with former national coach Davenell Whatmore to take over the local ‘A’ team and the Emerging teams. 

Last week, talks between Whatmore and the SLC stalled with the two parties disagreeing about the IPL window for the former Sri Lanka born Australian national cricketer.  

The former coach, who was at the helm when Sri Lanka won the ICC World Cup title twenty years ago almost to date, is looking to sign up with one of the cash rich IPL entities and the tournament is scheduled to begin soon after the ICC T-20 World Championships. 

However looking at the importance of the task the Lankan authorities have decided to have another round of talks with Whatmore. 

SLC secretary Mohan de Silva said “Now with Aravinda de Silva taking a closer look at the state of affairs in the Lankan coaching sector, we have decided to talk to Whatmore again. Besides Whatmore there are other candidates like Englishman Chris Adams along with David Newsworthy and Dale Benkenstein – both from South Africa.”

“Now it is said that SLC has completely given up the idea of Zonal Cricket. It is not so. What we are striving to do is to place the best possible cricket structure for Sri Lanka that everyone could agree upon. Besides even the National Development Committee of Sri Lanka   has passed a sum of Rs. 750 million (and not 750 thousand million as earlier stated) for the development of the game of cricket in the country,” he added  

“Now we are in the process of forming the SLC Cricket Committee to be headed by Aravinda de Silva.  There are several prominent cricket personalities in the fray which includes Kumar Sangakkara who is also helping out with the selection process, besides that we are very confident that Mahela Jayawardena also would join the committee once his other commitments are over”.