The marketing department of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has proved a complete disaster in last one year. Due to the incompetence of the Marketing head and the other team members, Sri Lanka U19 team has suffering the most. According to sources, in last one year, U19 team has played all the international fixtures without sponsor, even though Sri Lanka has been amongst most popular cricket playing nations in world Cricket.
It has learnt that this embarrassing situation has been created due to the inability of marketing team to attract sponsor’s. Even though SLC is spending lavishly on the salary and other perks of Marketing head Iroshini Munasingha and her never ending list of of assistants.
However, Sri Lanka U19 team has failed to get a sponsor. In last few months, the U19 team has played in Asia Cup, Challenger trophy in India without the sponsor.
The irony is that the U19 team has departed for World Cup in New Zealand and that too without the sponsor. In most probability, Sri Lanka U19 team will be the only team in the youth World Cup, which does not have a sponsor.
Unfortunately, this embarrassing situation is not only with U19 team.
Due to the inability of Marketing team, Sri Lanka domestic tournaments are also suffering badly.
According to sources the Mercantile cricket Association manage to get sponsors for all their tournaments from A division to H division. However, SLC is just spending all the expencess of club tournaments and provincial tournaments with out getting sponsors.
Although, this is not a failure of Marketing head and her team only. SLC has brought a team of seasoned campaigners for the marketing department, but they are delivering nothing.
According to sources, Jerome Jayarathne, the Chief Operating Ofgicer at SLC and one ExCo member are also responsible for this epic failure. Jayarathne, Who presents himself as a workaholic with a laptop on his hands almost 24 hours, but the Team’s are without sponsor’s.
“It’s true, the marketing head has not brought any new sponsors, but they also are to blame. Â still no marketing /corporate plan even after 7 months now” a source, close to SLC, told Cricket Age.