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| Sunday, 17 February 2002 |
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Schools should have a say in selections by Srian Obeyesekere The golden image of what is considered the base of the country's cricket took a rusty turn in the wake of the hammering the Sri Lankan Under-19 team took at the recently concluded World Cup in New Zealand. The Sri Lankans turning out to be candy for the rest. Indeed, it was to our school cricket with even little known Namibia melting our cricketers. Five losses at the tournament certainly is a blot for a country regarded as the best cradles among cricket playing countries in feeding talent to the main. Rooted in a school structure enriched by a century long existence of schools cricket festered into a 'big match' tradition that has enveloped most every nook and corner. The oldest of which the Royal-Thomian batting over 100 years in the graduation of a three-day encounter the best example Sri Lanka had just a solitary win against Zimbabwe losing to India by 8 wickets, Pakistan by 5 runs, Australia by 7 wickets and the West Indies by 63 runs with the match against New Zealand a washout. If the fallback was a far reflection from a structure that turned Sri Lankan cricket into a gold mine from a gold mine input that fed such talent as illustrious as Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Asanka Gurusinha, Roshan Mahanama and Chaminda Vaas of a recent era in transcending into an international image small beginnings , it should be food for thought for the cricket administration. The bashing has caused much heartburn back home with many quarters feeling that the selectors (then selectors under T.B.Kehelgamuwa) had not selected the best. A discord that has led to a debate as to whether schools' selections should be solely confined to the national selectors as it is or whether the Sri Lanka Schools' Cricket Association (SLSCA) should have a say in future selections. The latter, a school of thought that has found much favour in the wake of the debacle in New Zealand. The tour selections were criticised on the basis that the best languished at home while the majority on duty were misfits. An opinion further fuelled by the claim that 11 of the players who toured New Zealand had been selected despite having performed badly in the run-up tour of Pakistan. In fact, it has brought the administrative arm of the game in the country, the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) and the SLSCA into a confrontation. The SLSCA making a strong case to have a say in selections. A sentiment echoed by its President, H.L.B.Gomes who while not wanting to be drawn into conflict with the BCCSL on the issue, however, felt it would be in the best interests of the schools if the BCCSL had a representative of the SLSCA co-opted to the selection committee. "I do not wish to make a fuss about it, but it is true that we should have a say in selections because it is our children and we only know about them," he commented qualifying it by adding, "They (selectors) are there only for a short time watching the boys in action. So it is good if they ask us also because we are able to go into their past records. Of course, I don't want to challenge the BCCSL on the issue because it is not our monopoly. It is not only schoolboys but even players from clubs are eligible for selection". Gomes said he intended making representations to the BCCSL on the matter. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the BCCSL, Anura Tennekoon, while holding a brief for the selectors, said the BCCSL was certainly willing to sit and discuss with the SLSCA as to the feasibility of giving the schools a say in selections. "The criticism that the best were not selected is only a matter of opinion. To be fair by the selectors, they picked players nominated by the schools' authorities. Its really the schools that nominate players for trials and then the selectors have a look", said Tennekoon. The CEO left the board doors open to entertaining any suggestions from the SLSCA towards bettering the standard of schools' cricket saying, "We will have a look at the process and if it needs amending we are ready to do so. That is if the Schools' Association feels there is something to be gained by one of its representatives sitting in selections, then we'll look into the matter". Only allrounder, Jeevan Mendis from S.Thomas' College, Mt.Lavinia saved the blushes with a fine allround performance being among the runs and wickets, his 7-wicket haul turning out to be a tournament record. |
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