Minister could dissolve Interim Committee if he wants - Arjuna

Fresh IC or AGM the only way to solve problem, says Lokuge:

by Jatila KARAWITA

Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s Interim Committee Arjuna Ranatunga threw down the gauntlet to the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge, saying that if the latter wants to, he can dissolve the Interim Committee, before insisting that he had done his part of the job, as requested by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“I have nothing to lose, so if the Minister wants to dissolve the Interim Committee he can go ahead and do so”, the former Sri Lanka cricket captain told Sunday Observer.

“The President asked me to do a certain job at the Cricket Board and I have done that to the best of my ability. “This place (SLC) was rampant with corruption and nepotism when I took over, and I guess, to a great extent I have been able to put an end to it all, though, I agree that more needs to be done”.

Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge said last week that no final decision has been taken to dissolve the IC of SLC and if it were to be dissolved it will be done only on the advice and recommendation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister Lokuge, however agreed that the only panacea for the current ills and woes of the sport’s local controlling body would be to either install a fresh IC or hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Ranatunga, emphasised that he is prepared to standby the recent revelations he made in the Parliament during the Committee Stage debate of the Ministry of Sports of the 2009 Budget proposals, regarding him being entrusted with a corruption riddled body.

He also expressed his satisfaction at having somewhat improved the sagging financial situation of the SLC with its coffers virtually having dried up when he took over as he put it.

Asked whether he would come forward to head another Interim Committee or even for that matter contest an election of office bearers to the country’s richest sport’s body, the former Sri Lanka skipper known for his forthright and outspoken views was non-committal. The 1996 World Cup - winning captain also found fault with captain Mahela Jayawardena, Coach Trevor Bayliss and selectors for not planning ahead to the next Cricket World Cup (CWC) to be held in the Indian sub-continent in 2011.

He stated that prior to his team lifting the game’s most prized trophy 12-years ago in Pakistan, the then selectors, coaches and him had identified players capable of delivering in the long-run as opposed to the class of 2008 whom he criticised saying ‘are only interested in winning at any cost’.

“I really have my doubts as to whether the captain, coach and the selectors are planning ahead to the next World Cup”, he said. “This is an issue to be addressed by the Cricket Committee and I don’t want to dwell on it too much or I will get the stick at the end of the day”. Ranatunga, also expressed only modest satisfaction at Sri Lanka’s recent ODI tour of Zimbabwe, where Mahela Jayawardena’s men whitewashed the hosts 5-0,noting that it was not a performance that fans could go overboard with.

He also wondered as to how the current team could replace any of its big guns such as skipper Jayawardena his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, pace veteran Chaminda Vaas, former captain Sanath Jayasuriya or even mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge when contacted by Sunday Observer noted that he has no major grace with MP Arjuna Ranatunga if at all the SLC Interim Committee Head has addressed corruption and other misdeeds at the game’s main controlling body, but he was not entirely pleased with regard to measures put in place by the SLC to procure more series with neighbouring countries such as India and Pakistan.

“If the SLC does not have any pans to get more tours from India and Pakistan then it will be a major issue as far as the Government is concerned”, Minister Lokuge pointed out. “We cannot overlook India and Pakistan at this juncture, but doubt whether Sri Lanka have arranged any tours from Sri Lanka to India and Pakistan and from India and Pakistan to Sri Lanka. “If this is not done forthwith then I will need to wield the axe”.