'Groom young blood' if called on to handle top post in cricket - Arjuna Ranatunga

by Ranjan Anandappa

Sri Lanka Cricket ..... Will there be a clash between two powerful sporting brothers at the Sri Lanka Cricket leadership hustings ? .Not likely says present Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary and future leadership aspirant Nishantha Ranatunga of his cricketing legend brother and Government Minister contests.

Nominations for the much awaited 2015 AGM of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are still to be called. The AGM should have been held before March 31 but due to the World Cricket Competition, it has been postponed till end of April.

Nominations in the past have been highly controversial and there was a lot of heart burn. This time around cricket enthusiasts believe that the right person for the slot will be nominated.

The AGM comes in the wake of cricketers and cricket enthusiasts waiting with bated breath for the outcome..

According to reliable sources, it is expected to be a four-cornered tussle with the incumbent president, Jayantha Dharmadasa, former presidents Thilanga Sumathipala, Arjuna Ranatunga and his brother the present Secretary of SLC, Nishantha Ranatunga having intentions of contesting for the country's top cricket post.

Minister of Sports and Tourism Navin Dissanayake has instructed SLC to lie low regarding the SLC AGM and not to divert the focus from the ongoing 2015 Cricket World Cup which is now in progress in New Zealand and Australia.

However, if the former World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga desires to contest, his brother Nishantha Ranatunga will refrain from contesting for the top post as told by the latter.

The Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga who has the credentials to hold the post in the most lucrative sport in the country, is being persuaded to contest by his 1996 World Cup colleagues and clubs for to ensure a better future for the game..

If Arjuna Ranatunga takes over the reigns of SLC his emphasis will be on grooming young blood aiming the 2019 World Cup to be held in England.

Arjuna Ranatunga has given a clear message that if he becomes president of SLC he will not adhere to the whims and fancies of politicians or their stooges as what has happened in the past where SLC stooped to the lowest levels at the whims and fancy of politicians, presently cricket is highly, politicized.

Ranatunga also expressed his concern on the governments on going 100-day programme and thought that it was his duty to support the concept to the hilt.