sports03

British Minister Peter Hain who was in Sri Lanka recently chats with national cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu at 'Westminster House' in Wijerama Mawata, Colombo. - [Pic. by Jude Pathiraja].

by Mahinda Wijesinghe
To make an omelette one has to break the eggs. I was reminded of this homespun philosophy when observing the recent changes at the Cricket Board. Firstly, it was the appointment of former national skipper Anura Tennekoon as the CEO, and then it was Air Commodore Ajith Jayasekera as Manager of the national team. Whilst not imputing any aspersions on the previous office-bearers, few would contest the wisdom of the new appointments. Let us, for the sake of the future well-being of Sri Lanka cricket, wish them the best. The hard-working players who have done so much in recent times deserve them.

At a time when the cricketers are performing so well and bringing much glory to the country it is a great pity that the administration is at sixes and sevens. Something not uncommon in this troubled island. Perhaps this is a clear indication that all is not right in the laws that govern sports in general and cricket in particular. Even the new Minister of Sports will still have to function within the framework of the utterly obsolete, and at times, the all-powerful, all-consuming Sports Law. To quote yet another homespun philosophy in describing what the new Minister of Sports has done so far: ‘new brooms sweep well’. But, as mentioned earlier, the sweeping has to be done within the four ‘walls’ of the Sports Law which is just good enough. To think that just the other day a picketing campaign was conducted right outside the Cricket Board should send shivers down the spines of all genuine cricket lovers. I thought we saw it all when thuggery and intimidation was witnessed at the annual general meeting of the Cricket Board, and when a law-abiding contestant for the Presidency was forced to withdraw his candidature at the eleventh hour; possibly realising that discretion is the better part of valour! We are still learning, only, it is at the expense of our valiant cricketers. And, people are apt to criticise them at the first sign of failure.

Now that we have got a new CEO and a new Manager, will everything be milk and honey? That would be naive thinking. Changing key officers would certainly help but there must be an efficient skipper up at the bridge to command the ship otherwise our cricket will remain in troubled waters. At a time when our cricketers are doing more than their bit something must be done - and fast.

What are the qualifications necessary for an efficient President? Firstly, it is my view, he must be a man of integrity with a proven record of success in dealing with megabucks. Cricket today is synonymous with big money. The man at the top must have the necessary experience in dealing with big money. He need not have been a cricketer though knowing the psyche and the feelings of cricketers would be of immense help. To those who insist that to be President of the Cricket Board one must have played the game, my counter is, to be a successful crime reporter should one have been a murderer or at least a felon? No, the secret is proper delegation of authority, shrewd man-management and the ability to make sound investments whilst keeping costs down to the necessary minimum. The two senior cricketing nations, England and Australia, do not have past cricketers at the top to head their respective cricket administrations.

We must look for a man possessing these attributes. Just as astute selectors look for a player with such-and-such attributes, and not the other way around where personalities are picked and expected to display the such-and-such attributes! Sadly, in Sri Lanka those who are elected to these high posts are only clever at winning elections. It is time for those who hold reins of power in the country to appoint people with necessary credentials to important posts whether be it in cricket administration or in any other sphere, for success. It is a pity that it is the person not his capabilities that seem the criterion which decides many appointments in our country.

As the ‘Island’ correspondent Prasad Gunewardena wrote in Midweek Politics (of 22/11): "Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan cricketers have urged the Sports Minister Kiriella to bring in experienced men who could handle cricket affairs and have warned that if problems continued at Board level it would affect them psychologically in the game. "Every six months there surfaces dirty issues and it looks bad on Sri Lankan cricket"? Claimed a senior cricketer adding that it was high time the government decided to amend the sports law more.... dirty linen is likely to be washed in public in the coming days.... the cricketing field is said to be awash with dirty linen while genuine cricketers are looking at it aghast."

The above report added further that a ‘casino cricket official’ is reportedly trying to frame a Sri Lankan cricketer on match-fixing, the moneys realised from the sale of 1000 World Cup tickets seem to have disappeared to thin air. I remember a skirmish occurred during the period of the disastrous 1999 World Cup in England between a senior official of the Board and an expatriate Sri Lankan over moneys due on the sale of dance tickets which matter was reported to the local police there. Questions are being bandied around the purchase of a luxury vehicle by the Cricket Board. Suddenly the Dambulla project is forgotten and all systems ‘go’ for the Pallekelle project which up to the other day one hardly heard of, at least, via the Cricket Board. According to the report in the ‘Island’ it seems the whole deal on the Dambulla project had been shrouded in secrecy where even the former Minister of Sports had been kept in the dark! What next?

When the Interim Committee headed by Rienzie Wijetilleke - who by the way did not possess much experience on the cricket field! - steered Sri Lanka to the giddy heights from the depths it had fallen to, in just 9 months or so, surely there was a lesson to be learnt. Now it seems that each time a disaster takes place taking corrective action, if any, is the only solution, just like taking an aspirin for a fever. No, the treatment should not be symptomatic it should reach the cause and the infection eradicated. The Draconian Sports Law must be amended/removed forthwith and able men appointed - not elected - to guide the destinies of our cricket. For starters, election must be conducted on the basis of a secret ballot. Otherwise, just like the wretched war in our once-peaceful and lovely country the rot will continue.

Sri Lanka cricket needs immediate surgery and a new bed to lay her troubled head on. It is now up to those in power to breath new life into the game. These sentiments have been repeated time, time and time again to no avail. But, having observed the recent picketing campaign and ramblings from many quarters, it is time for those in authority to take a long hard look at a sport that has brought so much credit to the country, and prevent it from going to further rack and ruin. Otherwise, they will have blood on their hands. The blood of the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Susanthika Jayasinghe.