Re-examination of Sri Lanka Cricket elections

by Gunasiri Wanigaratne

As the curtain falls and dust settles over the Sri Lanka Cricket Board elections, ever expected winds of change and breath of fresh air failed to blow once again into the web of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Cricket lovers every nook and corner of the country and more so 80 affiliated member clubs, District provincial bodies must be struggling to fathom and comprehend, how the history repeat itself, as key posts of President and Secretary posts were uncontested. To take stock of this incredible "election", if one may wish to call it, the adopted procedures seems beyond belief somewhat farcical and non-transparent.

Pre-election campaigns were blighted by plethora of court cases against nominees and a highly publicised announcement, by the former Chairman of Interim Committee that he is contesting for the Presidency at an event held at the Galadari Hotel with recorded video footages from his supporters. When the results were announced to everyone's surprise his brothers' name Jayantha Dharmadasa appears as President of course uncontested.

The SLC has been controlled by nine Interim committees, a true reflection of the fragile nature of our cricket lacking in culture, dedication and integrity. When the previous Chairman of IC took over on July 1 2011, the reigns from D.S. De Silva on the request of the Minister of Sports, to sort out alleged malpractices including financial irregularities during the last World Cup.

The Interim Committee of which Nishantha Ranatunga was a key figure, is blamed for SLC's current financial crisis running into several billions of rupees. Now we are witnessing the unbelievable appointment of the very person uncontested to the Secretary of SLC governing body.

On the same token, Suraj Dandeniya who took a chorus of criticism for dragging Sri Lanka Cricket into a financial crises as Head of organising Committee SLC World Cup, was elected uncontested a new President of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association.

Surely the past can be forgotten, but not erased from the connasseiure's memories.

President for 4 years

As for the President elect Jayantha Dharmadasa without a contest to the SLC governing body. Now for a lengthy spell of four years, will be a thought provoking and testing tenure.

As memories are for ever and cannot be erased, its worth reminding ourselves the election campaign for the Galle Cricket Club years 2008, where Jayantha Dharmadasa contested for the Presidency to be re-elected. Jayantha Dharmadasa honourably resigned. This may be a bitter pile to swallow, but the ethics and ethos that surrounds, knocks the confidence of SLC.

It is on a sad note to find that cricket stadiums built for the World Cup namely Hambantota and Pallekele and nor the Dambulla grounds has essential facilities and fall short of international stadiums and standards. One wonders, the planners and the role played by the administrators at an enormous cost, yet to be accounted for in real terms.

With the formation of new committee or body ever so often the structure of the Premier Tournaments appears to change. This is surely unsettling for the clubs and players. To promote Test cricket and discipline towards longer version, Premier League should be four-day format and should maintain the Inter-provincial 4-day Competition. Yet one sees only the elite enclaves of Colombo clubs dominating the Premier Tournament except for a handful of outstation clubs like Chilaw, Baduraliya, Ragama.

Building stadium not enough

SLC should be contemplating and diverse energy and enthusiasm to vigorously promote outstation cricket at least in the main cities of Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle , Matara, Hambantota etc. Merely building stadiums is not enough, incentives to budding young crickets from above districts to stay and play and strengthen their local clubs rather migrating to Colombo Clubs looking for elitism and stardom.\