No one forced us to resign - Aravinda

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

CRICKET: The outgoing Chairman of the Cricket Selection Committee Aravinda De Silva at a press briefing was eager to clear some issues that had surfaced in some media releases in India during the World Cup cricket competition concluded recently.

"It is very, very important to clear certain issues chat erupted in India during the World Cup as some media releases and in some interviews have said that there were interferences from the Sri Lankan President His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa in selection matters. That is very important to be cleared here. Before we took over, we went and saw him and he gave us the assurance that he will never interfere in selection matters with regards to Sri Lanka cricket. On those grounds we took over the job, and I must say up to date he has not interfered with any selection matters," said Aravinda.

"At the same time, I must say his passion towards the game has amazed me. The manner in which he has treated the boys after the tour was something very, very unique. I don't think even when we won the World Cup in 1996, we were treated in that manner by a Head of State, and all my thanks should go to him for the manner in which he treated the team even being the losers."

Commitment of President great

Talking about the passion towards the game by the Sri Lankan President, Aravinda, said that like all of us he is also so involved in the game, and someone who had travelled to witness hundred overs and watch a game of cricket shows the amount of commitment he had towards cricket. I should be really grateful to him. Even on the knowledge of the game he seems to be well conversant, because after the match he came up to me and asked a few questions, which any cricketer should be proud of. "I don't know much about cricket, but don't you think that we should have made it more difficult for them to make the runs". Things like that shows the keenness of a sport-loving President.

Selectors Chairman Aravinda de Silva reiterated that the day that he regretted most in his life was the day Sri Lanka lost the 2011 World Cricket Cup to India at the final in Mumbai.

"The disappointment was so much and at times I just couldn't bear it. When I took over, I remember telling (Sanga) that I don't want people to say that only the 1996 team won a World Cup and it is time that we changed that and this is the best opportunity, and we should give two hundred percent to try and change that. Failing to do that is a very big disappointment for me. At the same time the players gave two hundred percent and they were committed."

Aravinda also said that he is prepared to take the blame for the inclusion of the champion off-spinner Muralitharan who did not live up to expectations in the World Cup final. "Some people may say that 'Murali' was not hundred percent fit for a final. We are prepared to take the blame, I think, I for one, I told 'Murali' even on one-leg that he should play, because he is a better bowler even on one leg than anyone else and that responsibility we are willing to take at any given time.

Hard work in team building

He said that "there were lot of hard work and planning involved in the process of team building for the big event. There were also speculations over the resignation of the selection committee prior to their term ending on April 30, 2011. But the Committee comprising Aravinda de Silva (Chairman), Ranjit Fernando, Amal Silva and Shabir Asgarally decided to tender their resignation not due to a serious issue, De Silva said at a press briefing at the SLC Headquarters on Thursday.

Explaining the reason as to why the selection committee decided to resign prior to their term ending on April 30, De Silva said that the time was right to plan for the next World Cup in 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. "Looking at the present situation, the time is right to look forward to the next four years. There are lot of changes to be made and right decisions to be taken. There are short and long-term decisions to be made. So the decisions we take during the last two weeks in office may not be the right ones for the future. The new selection committee should draw their future plans eying the 2015 World Cup in Australia. We have enough people to takeover from us.

Sangakkara - has done good job

Aravinda De Silva said that Sangakkara has done a good job as captain and no one can complain or find fault with him. "Once or twice I have spoken to him as I felt that he should have the mentality to try and be more attacking, specially with the kind of bowling attack we have. It is a case of having confidence on the bowlers and be more attacking to get the batsman to make the mistakes. Apart from that the way he handled team and the way he got the support of the players and the way he has conducted himself, the Sri Lankans should be very proud of him.

He said that the best suited person who could take tough decisions should takeover the job of Selection Committee Chairman to take the country's cricket forward. "It is not only me, there are more people. The process should be a combine effort."

Aravinda de Silva said that although the Selection Committee and the Interim Committee are two different bodies, he was proud the way the Interim Committee had put up the three new stadiums. "In the last nine months or so they have done an enormous job in building the three stadiums in comparison to the stadiums in India. People realised this only while they were in India. Almost everyone's opinion that I got, they were adamant that the facilities in Sri Lanka were thousand times better than India. The credit should go to the Armed Forces, State Engineering Corporation for their terrific efforts.