Nuski took the right decision, ICC must respect Sri Lanka's status

Veteran cricket administrator Nuski Mohammed has taken the most appropriate decision in refusing to attend the recent International Cricket Council (ICC) Board Meeting merely as an observer when Sri Lanka is a full member of the world governing body for cricket.

From the days the late minister Gamini Dissanayake headed Sri Lanka cricket administration when the country gained Test status way back in 1981, Nuski has served the game as an administrator in different capacities. Having served as the treasurer of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in two previous Executive Committees, he was once again included in the newly appointed SLC Interim Committee by Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake.

One may question on the transparency in bringing back the previous Ex-C0's treasurer to the interim committee when there were allegations on large-scale financial scandals against the last Ex-Co. There is some logic in those arguments too. But the Sports Minister may have his own reasons for the decision.

However, we should commend the bold decision of Nuski for upholding the SLC's rights without surrendering meekly to sit at the ICC Board meeting only as an observer.

The ICC had asked the SLC representative to do so as local cricket is currently being administrated by an interim committee appointed by the Sports Minister.

There is a point in ICC's decision not to allow a politically appointed country representative to sit at the ICC Executive Board meeting with full voting rights. Accordingly, the ICC had asked Nuski to take part at their Executive Board meeting only as an observer without voting rights.

That is something which ICC should not have done. Instead, the ICC should have either rejected the SLC representative or allowed him to take part with voting rights and not as an observer.

The ICC has no right whatsoever to demote Sri Lanka's status as a full member of the world body with voting rights. Rejecting a politically-appointed interim administration is something different and the ICC has the every right to do so. But that does not mean that the ICC could demote Sri Lanka's status as a full member.

Unfortunately, there have been only two countries to support Sri Lanka when Nuski had insisted that he be allowed to sit as a full member and not as an observer. An ICC media release said that Nuski, who was nominated to represent Sri Lanka, "was given the opportunity to provide information about the status of the Interim Committee, following which he was invited to attend the ICC Board meeting as an observer on behalf of the interests of cricket in Sri Lanka".

The ICC says that since Nuski had declined to attend the meeting on these terms, there had been no representative from Sri Lanka at the meeting. That does not give the full and true picture of the whole episode.

Nuski was formally invited to the April 16 board meeting but it was only at the commencement of the meeting that he was told about his 'observer' status. In declining to accept the status of an 'observer' to attend the ICC Executive Board meeting, Nuski had insisted that SLC is a full member of ICC and should be permitted to participate in the meeting as a full member. Quite rightly, Nuski was not prepared to compromise on the matter.

The ICC chairman N. Srinivasan had then requested Nuski to leave the meeting room until the remaining members discuss the matter. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan had urged the ICC board to allow Nuski to represent SLC. He had made every effort to convince the ICC Board, stating that "there was no military coup in Sri Lanka" for the ICC to act in such a manner and the SLC should be given six to nine months' time to hold fresh elections.

According to reports, only Zimbabwe's representative had endorsed Pakistan cricket chief's views. Hence, Nuski had no choice but to reject taking part at the meeting merely as an observer without voting rights in order to protect the sovereignty of his country.

Meanwhile, the SLC Interim Committee, headed by former Sri Lanka Test opener Sidath Wettimuny, has expressed shock at the ICC decision to hold funds due to Sri Lanka from the recent ICC World Cup tournament. The SLC interim body has described the ICC's withholding of funds due to them as "unlawful", adding that the ICC's description on what had transpired at its April 16 board meeting was misleading. The SLC says that the ICC had been repeatedly informed of developments within SLC, particularly pertaining to the appointment of the interim committee.

The SCL has a point in protesting against the ICC's decision to withhold monies which are now lawfully due and payable by ICC to SLC by way of the Financial Distributions for the T20 World Cup 2014 and the World Cup 2015. The SLC says that these monies were due and payable by ICC to SLC from long before the appointment of the Interim Committee.

The SLC interim administration will now have to make alternative arrangements to find finances to honour their commitments. The amount due from the ICC for the World Cup participation is believed to be around 10 million US dollars. The SLC had previously budgeted to make loan repayments with a portion that sum, some of it to ICC itself.

It is no secret that the interim committee, which was appointed on March 31, inherited large amount of debts from previous regime, accused of financial mismanagement. As the SLC has pointed out, these monies are lawfully due and payable to SLC. The arbitrary and unlawful withholding of these monies will cause grave damage to cricket in Sri Lanka.

But at the same time, the Sports Ministry too should give a firm assurance to the ICC that the Interim Committee would end its role no sooner the investigations on corruption charges are completed.

The ICC would not tolerate interim administrations running the game forever, even longer than the period of an elected Ex-Co. That is what had happened in the past at Sri Lanka Cricket with not less than nine interim committees.

Hence, it is important that the Sports Ministry initiate a dialogue with the ICC immediately, brief them about the ongoing investigations against financial mismanagement of the previous Ex-Co and give a firm assurance to the world governing body on the period they intend to keep the interim administration. Unless we do that, there is no way that the SLC could convince the ICC which even has the right to impose temporary suspension.

Sports Minister Dissanayake should empower a team of reputed former Sri Lanka cricketers and ex-SLC Presidents to initiate a dialogue with the ICC to iron out differences so that the country's cricket administration is not affected, either financially or its ICC full membership.