Five years needed to stabilise SLC finances - Upali Dharmadasa

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

CRICKET: The newly elected Sri Lanka Cricket Head Upali Dharmadasa stressed that his team of officials will need a minimum of five years to stabilize Sri Lanka Cricket finances and vehemently denied the allegations of a politically motivated election.

Dharmadasa was elected uncontested to the Top Post with the rest of his team in an election held after seven years. It had nine Interim Administrations during that period. He served the Cricket Board in similar capacity from 1996 to 1998 after ousting the then president Ana Punchihewa. Ana Punchihewa who was to contest as a Vice-President in the Sumathipala camp, withdrew from the running along with the others which virtually made the much hyped SLC elections a no contest. Almost all the posts went uncontested with the exception of the post of Assistant Treasurer.

Politics is nothing new for cricket in Sri Lanka as it goes hand in hand. There have been many political stalwarts who have headed this esteemed post. Among them are efficient people of the calibre of J.R.Jayawardene, Dr.N.M.Perera, Lakshman Jayakody, Tyronne Fernando, Edwin Tillekeratne and Gamini Dissanayake to name a few who commanded respect in an era where cricket was not commercialized like these days. The late Gamini Dissanayake single handedly helped Sri Lanka to gain full Test status after delivering a thundering speech at the ICC meeting in 1981.

Excerpts of the interview with new President Upali Dharmadasa...

Question: As the new SLC President what are your priorities?

Answer: Uplifting the game of cricket and looking after the progress of the game of cricket is the top priority right now. At the moment, the Sri Lanka team is in South Africa. Looking after the 'A' team and to concentrate in the Premier Tournament that was stopped and to see a fresh start as soon as possible.

Question: Before the elections you were talking about an Indian Tour which did not come off, what are the chances of SLC staging those matches in the near future?

Answer: We have got three confirmed tours this year. With England coming down for two Test matches and India in July,where the earlier tour which consisted of three Test matches,five ODIs and a T20. Last year in June at the ICC meeting held in Hong Kong this tour was taken off from the FTP (Future Tour Program) and only three Test matches were given. But during end of October and early November, we went to India and negotiated with the Indian Cricket Board and managed to get three one-dayers and three T20's. We are still negotiating to get at least five ODIs or if not a minimum of four.

Question: How are you going to find the funds to stage these matches at the moment where the SLC is in a bankrupt situation?

Answer: That wouldn't be a problem. Even a lot of people were under the impression where the Australian tour was concerned. Where we had difficulties. But we came forward even on our personal guarantees.

And many people were accommodative when we requested them for assistance. Even the hotels accommodated the teams. We paid them out of the monies we got from the Australian tour. And likewise things look possible.

Question: There are allegations from the opposite camp who are accusing you all about malpractices and political pressure being applied during the election?

Answer: There were Ministers, Chief Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Parliamentarians who were present at the election. Can anybody point out and say that they were not the eligible people or representatives to be at the election. Everyone who represented had their rights as a president or a vice president of a district or a club. It would have happened for the first time the political dignitaries gathering into one place. For the simple reason they knew in which direction the game was heading for. They also felt that a change should take place and the right administration to come in.

Question: It was your rival party member who was contesting as a Vice President Mohan de Silva who was making allegations in the manner which the election was conducted?

Answer: Mohan de Silva was accusing that political pressure was brought in during the election.

They were the people who have been using political pressure to the game. In 2004 or 2005, I suppose when an Interim Committee was appointed by the minister they stood their ground and did not give in. Then in 1998 the famous spin bowler Abu Fuard was kicked and many other things happened during an Annual General Meeting while taking the political whip into their hands. The correct picture should be given to the public. It is dutybound for the newspapers to give the correct picture to the public as to what happened. There wasn't a single incident during last week's election.

The turn over was almost one hundred percent. There was a voting for the post of Assistant Treasurer.

It was a voting by show of hands. Can anybody say that the person elected is not the rightful representative? Mohan de Silva has made these allegations to the ministry. The ministry too, had opened their eyes and it was alleged that the Galle CC President was not allowed to come and vote.

Every club or a district makes a mandate and you stand by the mandate. When 21 members stand by a mandate and when they sit and out of which 16 stand and give one person the right to go and represent them at Sri Lanka Cricket election, isn't it a rightful decision? All these members came down from Galle and sat with their president with the ministry personnel and the question was raised. At the end he said yes, I give in. Becasue the mandate was taken in my presence.

So what are these allegations? The fear was instilled into them from day one. Thilanga Sumathipala first said that he is going to be the candidate and he kept on going bluffing and postponing the date of confirming his candidature. At the end, he only isolated the members of his team. At least coming in from Colombo District CA enlisting himself to vote, he was not present. Are these right things by the game of cricket and if you love the game of cricket?

Question: Is there a ICC Code of Ethics to say that any person who is involved in betting, gambling or gaming cannot be a part of a country's cricket institution?

Answer: Yes. It is in the ICC constitution. As in our sports law, he or she who has served a term in prison or if someone who is involved in the business of book making or even a sibling connected to the gambling business, cannot contest.

In the ICC Code of Ethics Clause 7.2 (d)... It says that It is not permitted and a director shall be in breach of this Code if a member of his immediate family (being a spouse, parent, sibling, son or daughter) has a controlling interest in a betting business, a substantial relationship with a betting business or is employed in the day to day operational control of a betting business.

Question: Are you pleased with the team that you have got to run SLC efficiently?

Answer: My team consisting of K.Mathivanan, Asanga Seneviratne, Nishantha Ranatunga, Nushki Mohammed, Ajith Pasqual and Hirantha Perera all are able people who have proven track records. All have tightened their belts in every angle to bring up cricket financially which will take a minimum of about five years.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in the island in September and negotiations are on to stage the IPL in Sri Lanka. This will no doubt help SLC to generate revenue. We are also executing a cost cutting plan which will reduce administrative expenditure by 60 percent.