De Silva as Chairman, IC - a good choice

Sri Lanka’s former wily leg-spin, googly bowling allrounder D. Somachandra de Silva is the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s Interim Committee.

De Silva’s appointment has been acclaimed in all quarters, especially cricket and now in opening a new innings in his glittering cricket career, De Silva will have to play a straight bat like he did when on the field for the improvement of the game and the administration.

His first stroke will be to put things right in the Cricket Board and see that he receives every employee’s support to make his innings a fruitful one.

Before going on to elaborate, we would like to say that the omission of former Secretary K. Mathivanan came as a big surprise. Mathivanan from the time he took over as Secretary, did an excellent job.

Mathivanan, a cricketer who played with great success for Saracens. knew and batted intelligently and successfully to see the success of the Interim Committee, by being one, if not the best Secretary that cricket had. Pity that he is not in the new committee.

Cricket fans ask what wrong had Mathivanan done to be bowled out. De Silva, it must be said was one of the best allrounders that the game was fortunate to see. He was a clever leg-spinner, having a wide repertoire of deliveries. He was a right-hand batsman and brilliant fielder was par excellence.

In addition, he brings to his new job the experience of a captain having led the country in its formative years after receiving Test status.

When De Silva’s name was first mentioned as the Chairman of the Interim Committee, critics who are ignorant of the game and his contribution to the game, began to throw stones, or was it mud alleging that he was involved with the bookies and as such he is not eligible to adorn this high post.

In addition to his credentials as a player, he is also adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on cricket. After his playing days were over, he took to coaching and learnt the rudiments of this in England while playing cricket there.

His crowning moment as a coach was when he helped Bloomfield to carry away the Premier Championship for two years running. Absorbed into the Board he was in charge of the nursery of cricket and the youngsters learnt and improved tremendously.

De Silva’s first priority should be to have a good rapport with the media. He must always be available to them and answer their queries and questions. A good rapport with the media will make his job that much easier.

De Silva must treat as a priority, the mending of fences with our very helpful neighbour India. In recent times, relations had been strained between the two countries. De Silva will do well to have a good rapport with them.

De Silva’s job is not going to be a bed of roses. As usual he will have brickbats hurled at him. Instead of getting upset, he should duck them as he did when facing bouncers when batting.

`Sportswatch’ wishes him the best in his innings and may he score for the employees, the administration and the game.

In comes Sangakkara

With the premature retirement of Sri Lanka’s captain in all forms of the game, Mahela Jayewardena has apparently said enough is enough and has struck to his earlier decision of quitting as captain.

While many would have liked to see him continue, his decision must be hailed and respected and his guts admired. He has a lot more to offer the game as a batsman and it is hoped that he will make his willow talk.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara is the new captain and brings to it a lot of experience. He becomes the first Trinitian to captain the country which is a great honour to his school.

A man who did similarly like Jayewardena was Sanath Jayasuriya. He gave up the captaincy and continued to score heavily and it is hoped that Jayewardena would perform similarly.

Sangakkara will have to get the best of his men by example. His first hurdle will be the twenty20 World Cup in England in June. He must set his sights on winning that.

As a batsman-wicketkeeper he is in the class of South Africa’s Mark Boucher. He is one of the best batsmen in the game today. His choice is good and cannot be challenged.

Muttiah Muralitharan, the world’s best bowler in Test an one-day cricket, will be Sangakkara’s deputy. His name, too would have been in the picture when the selectors sat to decide on the captaincy. The selectors would have had a tough time in deciding between the two. Now that the selectors have gone for Sangakkara, Muralitharan must prove to be an able deputy.

Aussies still tops

The Australian cricketers especially skipper Ricky Ponting came in for a media bashing when they lost Test Series to India and then South Africa, out by beating the South Africans in back to back series, the media is now singing his praises.

The hard hitting Aussie media lambasted him and even demanded that he be relieved of his captaincy. But now they are tumbling to praise him. Ponting has had the last laugh!

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A correction

Mr. Elmo Rodrigopulle’s Sportscope of 8th March was indeed poignant, but for a few lapses in memory. Only ONE Israeli competitor was SHOT. A wrestler or weightlifter, at the entrance to their dormitory.

Others were NOT shot. A hand grenade lobbed into the helicopter that was to take a few team members, killed eleven and crew. Apart from the final day happenings, the memorial service was held the following day after the tragedy.

Stadium was packed. Flags at half mast. The teams marched in, their respective flags held low. The Israeli team was “sandwiched” between the German team as a gesture of protest and sympathy when two teams marched into the stadium. There were eleven empty seats to symbolise the slain comrades.

Late Avery Brundage, I.O.C. Chairman made an emotional speech. Tears flowed freely in the stadium that day. Also among the millions of viewers across the globe.

It was NOT Shakespeare but Jesus Christ who said those immortal words (John-15-verse-13). It is quite akin to “May all beings be happy” - John Milton.

All in all it was an article that brought back memories.

Siripathy JAYAMAHA, Kelaniya.