Sports enthusiasts of the country saw stars at what transpired at the five star hotel in Colombo, where the drama for the presentation of the ICC centenary medals for volunteers took place. To put it in a nutshell, the drama was a comedy of errors. The fifty recipients picked at random, sans a few left much to be desired. It only reflected the shallow thinking of the panel of selectors, who appeared to be groping in the dark. Many who had the credentials to be included in the prestigious list were overlooked, for reasons best known to these dull leaded selectors, who made a mockery of the ICC’s felicitation awards as a part of its centenary celebrations. What caught my eye was the absence in the list of the names of the late Minister, Gemini Dissanayake, the two time President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and Sri Lankan cricketing legend Gamini Goonesena.

Are the memory of these selectors so short, that they failed to realise that the late Gamini Dissanayake, moved heaven and earth, with his eloquence as an orator, his command of the English language, his administrative powers and his towering personality who presented Sri Lankas’ claim for Test status in a convincing manner, which was acceptable to the members of the ICC (then MCC) and thus Sri Lankan cricket found a place in the sun, as a Test playing nation.

These selectors were clueless to realise that here was a man who stood head and shoulders above the 50 recipients selected. I presume their contention was that he was not included in the list, due to him been deceased, which holds no water.

The other cricketing nations never looked at it in that light. Even the valiant men of the armed forces, who die in action, receive posthumous awards, so does not the late Dissanayake, come into the equation?

Another glaring omission was that of Sri Lanka’s cricketing legend Gamini Goonesena. I will give the readers a picture of his remarkable achievements in the fields of Sri Lankan and international cricket, which I read in an old book titled, ‘The slow men’ by David Frith, which I quote herewith. "A skilled leg-spinner from Ceylon, Gamini Goonesena practiced his art for Notts and NSW, having shown his ability with the bat in making a double-century for Cambridge in the year 1957 varsity match.

His 674 wickets, captured from a low arm action, cost only 24.38 apiece, and his country now Sri Lanka, now a Test nation, he might not only have been handed a lot of Test caps, but the captaincy, as well, for so solid was his confidence that even under fire from the big guns, he was unlikely to have wilted." This should be food for thought for these selectors, who made a mess of things.

Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread.