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| Sunday, 19 May 2002 |
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Lords Test overshadows cricket row by Srian Obeyesekere Cricket it is that has contributed lustily with a thick stroke of fortunes. Fortunes that have put the country so much on the world map. And as the kaleidoscope focusses on our cricket as intensely as never before as our cricketers brace themselves in England for a 3-Test series for the first time. the week ending has indeed been eventful back home. for the country as our cricketers led by a son of deep South, Matara, sanath Jayasuriya lock in battle with the lords of the game led by Nasser Hussain at the citadel of cricket, Lords. The game, from where it is run down Maitland Place, had its hiccups when its administrative arm run by an interim committee found some key members resign. That it included some past cricketers of distinction in Michael Tissera, Sidat Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama is significant in a row centering on who should represent the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) at the ICC meeting coming up shortly. What was also significant was that it revolved around a former president of the BCCSL, Thilanga Sumathipala on him being nominated by the Sports Minister as one of the three representatives. Tissera and company in principle not agreeing that someone outside the BCCSL should be nominated. For the record there had been an earlier occasion when Nuskie Mohamed was nominated to represent the BCCSL in a similar capacity though not being an executive committee member. What came as an even bigger setback at a time of much reform was the resignation of the national selection committee en masse led by its chairman, Tissera with the exception of Roger Wijesuriya. More so considering Tissera, one of Sri Lanka's highly respected men in the game who captained before the country gained Test status, who was instrumental in the recall of veteran batsman, Aravinda de Silva for the tour of England. The other selectors following suit being former Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman, Mahes Gunatilleke and off spinner, Don Arunasiri. But the Minister of Sports, Johnstone Fernando acted swiftly to put things right in an institution that has been ridden by crisis after crisis in the last 6 years by filling the vacancies created in giving its recently appointed Chairman, Hemaka Amarasuriya the necessary muscle to continue. At a juncture the wheels in authority need oil as never before. What with our cricket on an ascendancy and our hurrah boys at the moment doing duty in the very mecca of the game. Not to mention the foreign and local expertise been harnessed from the grassroots level to raising the game at all levels in the effort to closing the gap with the giants in the game. Joining Amarasuriya, Nalin Ladduwahetty, Ajith Jayasekera and Lawrence Amarasena are former cricketers Kapila Wijegoonawardena and Dileepa Wickramasinghe along with Nimal Welgama and Jaliya Jayasuriya, the last two from the business sector. At the time of writing a new chairman of selectors was expected to be announced by the Minister shortly to join Roger Wijesuriya and new appointees Ranil Abeynaike, Guy de Alwis and Ranjit Madurasinghe. What is significant is that the crisis in the BCCSL has kept back peddaling centering on Sumathipala who has held two terms at the helm and who himself lays claims to some of the giant work up the road. The youthful, handsome, fast speaking Sumathipala, who has arguably faced more crisis' than any other at the board, - from been unseated by a court order in 1996 in a long drawn bout of legal wrangles - lays claims to having done more than a volume of work in the giant strides the country has made forward. The controversial Dambulla International Stadium a monument hailed by many foreign countries despite the millions in expenditure running into question. It was when Sumathipala was first unseated in 1996 that an interim committee headed by Rienzie Wijetilleke was appointed for the first time by the then Sports Minister, S.B.Dissanayake. Four years later Sumathipala was re-installed only to find his administration replaced by an interim committee headed by former cricketer, Vijaya Malalasekera which was appointed by Lakshman Kiriella who subsequently succeeded Dissanayake as the Sports Minister. As our 'kollas' led by a son from the deep South of Matara strive to get the better of the lords of the game led by Nasser Hussain, the first of battle lines drawn at the citadel of cricket, Lords in this historic first 3-Test series, the fervent hope of cricket lovers is that the country's cricket will go from strength to strength. Where the game will be the winner over controversies. |
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