Under the regime of Thilanga Sumathipala, Sri Lanka Cricket board (SLC) has become notorious for almost everything : They changes Coaches, Captain’s and players for the fun. SLC officials travels abroad more often than BCCI officials, for no reason. There is even a particular person who has broken the most overseas tours record of ex-secretary of SLC Nishantha Ranatunga.
However, an ardent cricket fan has nothing to do with these corrupt and opportunists.
The thing is, however, Sri Lanka Cricket has been suffering big time due to their wrongdoings.
Take this. The team selection for prestigious ongoing U19 World Cup was a classic example of how certain people are committed to ruin Sri Lanka Cricket forever!
There was a player named Santush Gunathilika. Those, who have been given the responsibility to take Sri Lanka Cricket forward, presented a notorious case of favoritism by selecting non-deserving players into the squad.
Ayana Siriwardena was the captain of the Sri Lanka president XI team, that played challenger trophy in India in December 2017. He was a standout performer with both bat and ball, and was almost certain for the mega event.
However, The so called Messiah of Sri Lanka Cricket dumped him for the Santush Gunathilika.
There were protests against the injustice, mainly from Ayana school Isipathana College. They submitted a formal complaint at well, to country’s Sports Minister. However, it seems he was too busy, to take notice of this small issue!
Santush Gunathilika had been named in the final squad and played important matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan and failed miserably. Team management included him as the opener, But he batted at number 8.
To make things worse, Team management opted for him by dropping Hasitha Boyagoda, the best batsman of the team. When Boyagoda finally got a chance, he slammed Two centuries on the face of team management!
And now, when Sri Lanka has been embarrassingly knocked out of the tournament from the first round, entire Sri Lanka is asking one question : how and why Santush Gunathilika had been selected into a World Cup squad?
It is because his father Sirosha Gunathilika is the powerful secretary of MCA? Or because his father is a good friend of one of the selector? Or because Sirosha Gunathilika is the former president of Association of Cricket Umpires (ACU)?
According to reliable sources, Sirosha Gunathilika was in New Zealand in that period. Not only this, he applied for the visa even before the team!
However, whatever the real reason, one can’t expect from the SLC to give explaination. There are far more important things for SLC officials to do : there is Nidahas trophy before the AGM, and they want make it big, before they get perished!
