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| Sunday, 13 April 2003 |
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Hemaka Amarasuriya says time is right for Cricket Board elections by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE In the gloom of a nation lamenting a downslide in the country's cricket at national level, elections to the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) could come sooner than expected. The Chairman of the BCCSL's Interim Committee, Hemaka Amarasuriya told the Sunday Observer that he had no desire to continue for long in a job that he was called upon to undertake. "It is likely that the AGM will be held soon. Personally, I've no desire to continue", he said when contacted last week. Amarasuriya, who took over the job just over an year ago, asked as to how he looked at the possibility of restoring cricket's governing body to be run by a board elected by representatives of clubs, commented, "When I was invited to run it, I indicated that I could do so only for one year, and I have no desire to continue. I might do so only for a few months more." Asked as to how he was disposed to the holding of the AGM, Amarasuriya replied, "Holding the AGM is a good thing". Holding the hustings of the BCCSL which has in the last four years or so been run by Interim Committee after interim committee has been felt as something long overdue by cricketing quarters including the clubs. It is one area many observers and analysts in the game have felt has left a vacuum with some of the cricketers itself not so long ago declaring that they did not know where they stand with changing committees. The BCCSL has had three interim committees appointed by three Sports Ministers since 1999. The first committee was headed by top bank executive Rienzie Wijetilleke who was appointed by the then Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake. The second such committee was headed by a former cricketer, Vijay Malalasekera of Ceylon Tobacco Company some 2 years hence appointed by Lakshman Kiriella who succeeded Dissanayake during the tenure of the PA Government. The current committee was appointed by Sports Minister, Johnston Fernando. While the holding of an AGM has been debated time and again, current Interim Committee Chairman, Amarasuriya, touching on the state of the game as of now saw a brighter side to our cricket, contrary to the gloomy reaction of majority of the cricketing public in the wake of the team's recent performance at the 2003 World Cup. \"Actually I am happy with the team's performance. Some say that the team was lucky. But we came upto the semi-finals which means among the first four. That I consider is a big achievement in cricket like in football which are games based on skill where the first four make it. Luck alone could not have taken us there. We played 10 matches and won 6," he reasoned. Looking at the future of the game which must be accentuated on young blood, Amarasuriya stressed the need for developing 3 to 4 top quality players. "Today, we have about four top quality players in Jayasuriya, Muralitharan, Vaas and Atapattu. But we have to bring about 3 to 4 of our aspiring youngsters to that level if we are to look at the future", he said. "The policy of blooding youngsters should be the criteria. Today, we are third in the Test rankings and fourth in the one-day rankings. If we are to maintain high standards we have to develop the youngsters". Asked to comment on the BCCSL's annual earnings, Amarasuriya said that an estimated 10 million dollar International Cricket Council (ICC) money could be earned annually on tour calendars. But this could fluctuate depending on the distribution of tours on a calendar basis. "Good returns tend to come if there are more inbound tours which is mainly through television coverages where the big money is, besides team sponsorship money and ICC revenue". Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Sports Ministry, G. Punchinilame when contacted by the Sunday Observer as to the holding of the BCCSL AGM, said that it was a discretion of the Sports Minister. "At the moment there are about 6 to 7 sports bodies run by interim committees", the Ministry Secretary said. |
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