Changes necessary in SLC to resurrect game - Sports Minister Aluthgamage

By Ranjan Anandappa

STRUCTURAL CHANGES FOR SLC: Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage is planning to have many strategic and structural changes for Sri Lanka Cricket and one major change is undoubtedly the conducting of the Annual General Meeting of SLC and other sports bodies not yearly, but four yearly.

According to the minister having the meeting every four years should give whoever the president elected, more time to work towards the development of the game. He said that many fear for a structural change not because for the love of the game, but to safeguard their positions and own interest.

The minister’s main concern has been the country’s participation at the 2015 Cricket World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand. If Sri Lanka or any other country fail to find a place among the top ten teams in the ODI rankings according to the ICC regulations, they will have to play in the World Cup qualifying round to take part in the tournament. At present, Sri Lanka is placed 4th in the ODI and 6th in the Test rankings. Furthermore in time to come Sri Lanka’s picture in the international cricket arena could be painted as a gloomy one.

Structural changes need of the hour

To overcome this situation, the minister, after consulting a Cricket Committee comprising of past top cricketers has been told that structural changes are the need of the hour. To begin with, the twenty teams currently playing in the Premier Tournament should be reduced to fourteen. However, the clubs have shown dissent against this move due to their vested interests. The minister reminded that there is nothing bigger than the game and seeing Sri Lanka Cricket reaching the highest pinnacle should be the main objective.

”The clubs are scared of a structural change, may be due to some having vested interests and trying to protect the clubs. So at this juncture the minister asked whether they are to protect the clubs or cricket? He said cricket is something like a religion in this country. If we do not take a decision now, it would end in a failure in the future. The future of cricket in this country cannot be decided by the media or anyone else. It should be done only by the knowledgeable people appointed in the committee. When the committee took the decision of reducing the number of clubs, some wrote to me saying that it was an unreasonable move. One club that wrote was NCC, not playing in the Premier League. I must say that there are some shortcomings as well.

I then referred the petition to Chairman Cricket to look into the matter and take necessary action. I never sighted the Cricket Board, but I sent my Secretary to follow the proceedings of the meeting. So the structure and the decisions were taken by the Cricket Board and it is not necessary of a third party,” said the minister.

Players get 60% of revenue

He further revealed that 60 percent of the revenue from cricket has been given to the cricketers and 35 percent to the clubs. So we utilise only 5 percent or 10 percent for the development of the game, so how are we to take the game forward, he questioned.

The minister said that he went to Batticaloa, there are 600 lads playing hard ball cricket, but there are no side wickets in the entire district. A matting has not been supplied for over a decade. They play on torn or damaged mattings. I also went to Killinochchi - there too there were no side wickets. So if we are to develop the game we will have to utilise at least 30 percent or 40 percent of the money for the development of the game.”

There are some ‘old hands’ who are under the impression that they are the ancestors of the game and they only can carry the game forward. This is a wrong notion and it is the downfall of the sport, if that wrong idea gets into their minds, the minister said.