Your View... Dear reader, the Sunday Observer welcomes your letters. Keep them brief, legible include the name, address and contact number of the writer and mail them to: ‘Letters’, The Sunday Observer, 35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10. Email: [email protected] Handwritten copies should be duly signed.

Dilshan forgive the ‘Ungratefuls’

All cricket fans would have seen the incident which involved a Sri Lankan cricket fanatic in New Zealand and our ‘man for all seasons’, Dilshan. Before I write more about Dishan let me remind the readers how ungrateful were our authorities from time to time to some respectable personalities who have done yeoman service to cricket.

The serious battle for supremacy in cricket administration commenced after we won the 1996 World Cup (WC). The win was a collective, mission accomplishment by many who loved the game. At the AGM held after the WC win, the then incumbent president Ana Punchihewa who did an Olympian job of unpublicized work towards that glory of the country was defeated. That is history. Later WC winning coach Whatmore was sent home.

Then we had a fine Interim Committee (IC) headed by one of the finest bankers that the country had seen, Rienzie Wijetilleke. He and his team did a meticulous service to uplift the standard of cricket amidst many obstructions. However, that IC was dissolved by the then Sports Minister for reasons only known to him.

Trevor Bayliss had once said political interference in cricket did not go down well with most decent men involved in cricket. Hathurusinghe was the ‘Shadow Coach’ to Bayliss. His contract was terminated abruptly by a person who was famous for dementia. Hathu’s present performances in Bangladesh shows his prowess at the game and puts to shame those who failed to assess the value of our own ‘gem’. SLC had to pay massive compensation for terminating the contract of Geoff Marsh, one of the best coaches in the world.

The finest ever fast bowler we had, Chaminda Vaas was deprived of playing a test match during a New Zealand tour. (I believe it was his 100th test match) Although he was in the SL squad, Marvan Attapattu became a mere spectator during the whole of the WC matches in 2007. The list of recipients of step-motherly treatment from the authorities is long. It is time to talk about Dilshan, ‘Jack of all trades’ of our cricket, a batsman, bowler, fielder, wicket keeper and a past captain. (All my comments are based and confined to his cricketing skills only)

His impressive career figures are given below for the benefit of the same calibre of people like that ‘hero’ in New Zealand who had forgotten the good deeds that Dilshan had done during his unfinished illustrious career. The ‘hero’s’ substandard memory bank, knowledge and ungratefulness were amply exhibited there. Hired puppets also perform dirty contracts for others. I am pretty sure that ‘hero’ was not alone. Dilshan, had been a match winner in so many matches and had won the ‘Man of the match’ awards on numerous occasions.

Batting: 5492 Test runs in 87 tests with an average of 40.98, 11,830 ODI runs in 327 matches with an average of 39.44 and 1618, T20 runs in 68 matches with an average of 28.38.

Bowling: 39, 106 and 6 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20s respectively. (Statistics upto 2013. Source Cricinfo)

During our recent disastrous tour of NZ, he scored 91 runs in the one and only match that SL won. He is still rated as one of the best fielders in the world, if not the best, despite him being 39+ years. Nobody keeps count of how many runs he had saved in matches. He captained the one and only test match that Sri Lanka won on South African soil. (December 2011)

As far as I know, Dilshan, you have not gone after politicians like many for a place in the national team. A majority of cricket fans love to see you play as long as you can, because you still perform well. We are pretty sure that you will call it a day when your body gives you that message.

Although you reacted in anger at that moment, quite naturally please forgive those ungrateful fanatics for the lack of an iota of knowledge about the value of great players and their contributions to the game.

Good luck Dilshan, unbiased cricket fans are grateful to you as a cricketer.

Lalith Fernando

Changing the Constitution

Information regarding the changes to the constitution are being discussed changes to the existing one. If a new constitution is to be the option, it should be done only if it is necessary and undoubtedly it must be done with utmost care.

The real need is eliminating the Executive Presidential system and transferring executive powers to the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. By incorporating the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the powers of the Executive President was reduced to a certain degree. By voluntarily doing so, President Maithripala Sirisena set a great example.

In the process of making changes to the existing constitution or drafting a new one, one must not forget the more democratic features of the 1947 Soulbury Constitution and the 1972 Republican Constitution which the country had before adopting the 1978 constitution.

Under the two previous constitutions, the country had a non-executive head of state and an executive Prime Minister and that combination was ideal for a sound and vibrant democracy even though those two constitutions had weaknesses.

One weakness of the 1972 Republican Constitution had, was the way in which the Head of State is appointed. Under that constitution the Prime Minister had the power to nominate a person to be appointed as the Head of State. What is best for a country is to have a non-executive Head of State who is not elected by the people directly or at the Prime Minister’s will with provisions to elect the Head of State, it is prudent to follow Italy or India when selecting the President.

Another major drawback of the 1972 Republican Constitution was that it has no provision to elect members to Parliament based on the Proportional Representation system which was introduced under the 1978 Constitution by President J. R. Jayewardene. Even though some people criticise the Proportional Representation system, it helps the voter to make a more selective decision.

More importantly, essential features of the existing constitution such as the provision which mandates the Republic that Buddhism should be given the foremost place and to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana must not be diluted or adulterated under any circumstance. Moreover, it is prudent if new provisions are incorporated to the constitution to mandate the State to provide unreserved patronage to Buddhism.

In keeping with provisions in the constitution, it is important to get intellectuals, learned people and professionals involved in legislative functions.

N.A.A.P.K. Nedurana
Kahahena, Waga