President's 'Gamata Cricket' on a good pitch

One of sports loving President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visions is for the game of cricket that was the sole preserve of the elite, now played by all is for the game to be stroked to the villages.

Sri Lanka Cricket with former Sri Lanka captain and allrounder D. Somachandra de Silva at the helm and his committee of hard working men, have spared no pains to see that the President's vision or concept is spun into the villages. With the 2011 World Cup to be played in the sub continent early next year quietly creeping up, Sri Lanka Cricket is busy as bees with Director Suraj Dandeniya and others joining in the cricketing scrum and hooking for success.

Onerous duties

President Mahinda Rajapaksa with onerous duties to perform, never misses inquiring about how preparations are going on for the 2011 World Cup, and has made it known to those who matter at SLC that winning the WC is not the thing, but the only thing.

The President a left-hander, in the mould of former stylish Australian left-hander Neil Harvey played an exquisite stroke to open the indoor cricket facility at Badulla on the invitation of Minister and Badulla District Cricket Association President Dilan Perera last week. That was another stroke in the promotion of 'Gamata Cricket'.

Uva Province it is said is vulnerable to monsoon rains. The indoor facility built at a cost of Rs. 11.3 million by Sri Lanka Cricket can host 32 schools and 40 clubs. This facility will help the young cricketers to make their mark and knock at the door for representative honours.

Zimbabwe fiasco

A certain cricketer like in that Jim Reeves perennial, stands accused, convicted and condemned for something he did not dabble in during the Sri Lanka cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe recently.

Allegations are being bandied about, but it is all gossip. It is unfortunate that we have a trait in us to sling mud at others. The stories doing the rounds about this talented all rounder has no foundation.

According to Sri Lanka Cricket, they had delved deep into the allegations made and could not find anything to inquire or slap a charge on the all rounder. 'If there is the slightest evidence, we will certainly inquire, and if there is enough evidence to punish the individual, we will not hesitate to do so however powerful the alleged individual is', said a powerful source in SLC.

The SLC source also indicated that this is just a mud slinging exercise, to probably unsettle this individual who is going great guns at the moment and who is set to play a big part in Sri Lanka's push to win the 2011 World Cup.

Conspiracy

One wonders whether the alleged match-fixing charges slapped on Pakistan captain Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer is a sort of conspiracy to derail and lower the morale of the sub continent cricketers now that the 2011 World Cup is to be conduced in the sub continent.

Not only are the Pakistani cricketers, but even the Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladesh cricketers are not spared and have been accused of match- fixing with no names named which has made sports fans hazard a guess as to who the culprits are.

Making allegations is one thing. But proving it, and proving it beyond reasonable doubt is what this game is all about. At the moment the Pakistani cricketers stand accused, but not convicted or condemned.

Accusations

'News of the World' made the accusations. The International Cricket Council took it from there and has banned the three Pakistanis from further participation in the game. It will be interesting to watch how this match fixing game will end.

But if these allegations are finally proved, it will be a black mark on the culprits, everything that the game stands for and the country. Why they had to resort to this game which is not cricket, but being dishonest and cheating is inexplicable.

Show sympathy

Of the three Pakistanis accused of match-fixing, the most promising is the left arm fast man Mohammed Aamer. Just 18 years old and with an excellent future ahead of him in the game, it is a pity that he had to get involved in this ugly and dirty game of cheating.

Apparently the mind boggling money that he was going to receive would have tempted him to take the plunge, convinced that the cheating would not surface the way it did and hit him and the other two - Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif, like a life threatening bouncer delivered by him.

This guy had the cricketing world at his feet the way he was making batsmen wobble facing him coming at them with tremendous speed and throwing bombs as it were. He showed his capabilities and the Aussie and England batsmen who he had at his mercy would bear testimony to his god given gift.

Wasim Akram, the best left arm paceman that Pakistan had produced, thought the world of this guy and predicted that he would be the best ever produced by his country if he keeps performing the way he is doing.

But it is sad the way his career had to end. If the allegations are proved, then there is no doubt that the authorities concerned would slap the severest of punishment, so that it will serve as a deterrent to others attempting to take part in this inhuman game of match-fixing.

Good on Jayasekera

The administration at Sri Lanka Cricket received a tremendous boost with the appointment of Ajit Jayasekera as Acting Chief Administrative Officer. This former dashing Thomian and Air Force opener and wicket keeper is now set to play a different game for the benefit of the SLC.

Jayasekera after an illustrious career at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia where he opened batting with David Ponniah, joined the Air Force and continued his successful run with the bat making many big and eye catching knocks.

Jayasekera and Ponniah were a dreaded opening pair at the school by the sea and bashed the opposing school bowlers, like did Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes for the West Indies.

Cricket manager

Once he put aside his bat, all opening bowlers heaved a sigh of relief. It was not long when Sri Lanka Cricket realizing his potential made him manager of the national cricket team. He adorned that post very cleverly, efficiently and with great aplomb.

On a tour of Australia and with brick bats thrown at the team for under performing, Jayasekera rode and answered the criticism cleverly and it was not long when accolades poured his way.

That was also the tour when former Aussie left hand batsman Darren Lehmann was found guilty of mouthing words that amounted to racism after he was dismissed and on his return to the pavilion.

I was on that tour covering it for 'Daily News' and the 'Sunday Observer' and can vouch for the fact that he handled that episode with great dexterity. We wish Jayasekera the best in his new slot.