|
|
 |
| Sunday, 7 April 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
New cricket chief concerned over dropping of standards of school cricket The new cricket boss, Hemaka Amarasuriya said he was concerned over the `dropping standard of school cricket in the country'. "My immediate priority would be addressing the vital area of junior cricket which had been hitherto on a sound footing", stressed Amarasuriya who spoke to the `Sunday Observer' yesterday. Amarasuriya, who took over as Chairman of a 10-member interim committee last week, said that junior cricket, preparations for next year's World Cup and the staging of the Mini World Cup this September in Sri Lanka were the subjects top of his agenda. "These are the three obvious things that have to be looked at", he said adding that he did not wish to go into details of the pros and cons of handling the work ahead before sitting with his committee. "I must share views with my committee which consists of all experienced people", added Amarasuriya. A man who has been deeply rooted in the cricket affairs of the country, particularly at junior level, Amarasuriya, who heads the Singer Company which is one of the country's leading electronic concerns, went on to single out reasons why school cricket would be right on top of his agenda of priorities. "Our under-19 team fared disastrously at the recent Junior World Cup staged in New Zealand. Normally our schools' cricket teams perform very well internationally", he said. What was needed was to `find out whether the standard had dropped or whether that dismal showing was just a one off thing and ensure it would not repeat itself'. The new interim committee was appointed by the Sports Minister after the previous committee headed by Vijaya Malalasekera resigned. But it had been rife in cricket circles that a change was in the offing. While the appointment of former Sri Lankan cricketer, Roshan Mahanama has aroused interest in so much as the Minister placing accent on youth from a more recent generation. Mahanama formed the nucleus of Lankan cricket from 1980s to 1999 and was a member of the Sri Lankan World Cup winning team of 1995-96. The interim committee - Hemaka Amarasuriya (Chairman), Nalin Ladduwahetty, Michael Tissera, Sidat Wettimuny, Roshan Mahanama, Kushil Gunasekera, Triphon Mirando and Trevor Rajaratnam. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
