In a bid to resurrect their beloved game, Some of the most prominent names of Sri Lanka Cricket have come together to appeal country’s Sports Minister to Appoint An interim committee with immediate effect.
Despite few moral boosting victories here and there, Sri Lanka Cricket has long been on ventilator, largely due to the incompetent governance of Former SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala led administration. His two years in office were only about controversies, financial irregularities and corruption charges. In last few months, Sri Lanka Cricket hit a new low with match fixing charges and ball tampering scandal.
Observing all these, The stalwart like former SLC Presidents Jayantha Dharmadasa, Sidath Wettimuny and many others had written a letter to Sports Minister Faizer Mustapha and appealed him to appoint the interim committee.
“We, a group of past Administrators, with an abiding interest in the game of Cricket, a game that we all love, wish to bring to your kind attention, the pathetic state of the game that we love, presently prevalent in Sri Lanka.
In 2016, Thilanga Sumathipala took over as the President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), with a seemingly false sense of lofty ideals and goals which included ‘5 Pillars’, to “revive” the game in our country. Ever since that time, all his pillars seem to have collapsed and pillaging of SLC funds at an unprecedented rate seem to be the current administration’s ideals and goals after two years in office” The letter reads.
The former administrators have also highlighted the continues downfall of the team’s performance performance in last two years.
“Sri Lanka Cricket standards have hit rock bottom and we are currently languishing in the bottom half of the ICC rankings in all forms of the game, with minnows and non-Test playing country Afghanistan having overtaken us in the Twenty20 rankings to boot. We barely scraped through to qualify for the 2019 World Cup without having to play in the qualifying tournament; were ‘whitewashed’ 5 — 0 by South Africa, Pakistan and India in ODI series in 2017; lost a Home ODI series to Zimbabwe for the first time in history; lost to Bangladesh at home in the Nidahas Trophy, failing to qualify for the finals and fared miserably in test series against India while winning the odd test and ODI match to compensate for the continuing misery. Sri Lankan Cricket Team lost to West Indees in the recent Test Match so pathetically. Similarly Sri Lankan Women’s Team lost to Thailand’s Women’s Team.
We lost the services of Coach Graham Ford and Interim Coach Nick Pothas and other high profile Coaching and Support Staff during this period while tinkering with team selections by including over 40 players to the National Team during a period of 1 year, which included appointing of 6 Captains to the National Test and ODI teams. Stability in team composition which is a prerequisite for consistent performance flew out the window.”
Sri Lankan Cricket Interim Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny (R) speaks to reporters in Colombo on April 1, 2015. Sri Lanka’s sports minister Navin Dissanayake has urged the world’s number one batsman Kumar Sangakkara to reconsider plans to retire from Test cricket and urged him to play on for another year. AFP PHOTO/ LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI (Photo credit should read LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images)
Most importantly, Former administrators have pointed out that Sumathipala Led administration completely ruined the game in the country, as their focus was only on making money.
“The present administration boasts regularly of being in a healthy financial situation, which is not something that they have achieved since they took office, but finances which were arranged by previous administrations when they signed a 7-year TV deal with a Host Broadcaster for inbound tours based on the Future Tours Programme (FTP) which was in effect at that time. The deal was worth USD 60 million and included an income of USD 26 million for the Indian tour in 2017.
So, it is clear that the income they boast about is not due to their efforts but a result of work done by previous administrations. The only substantial income generated by the current administration was whatever income they managed to get for the Nidahas Trophy.
Now, the latest scandal to ‘hit’ Sri Lanka Cricket is the “pitch fixing” incident which was highlighted in a sting operation carried out by Al Jazeera and broadcast worldwide since 27th May 2018, bringing absolute shame and dishonor to the country and its Administrators.
With the election of Thilanga Sumathipala to the Presidency of Sri Lanka Cricket in 2016, he appointed Godfrey Dabrera as the Manager International Venues, without any Curator experience nor qualifications, handling pitch preparation and all aspects at every International Venue in Sri Lanka. The Galle Curator who was identified in the sting operation would not have done nor would not have attempted to do anything without official sanction from Godfrey Dabrera. By his own admission, Godfrey Dabrera has stated that he was physically present at all venues at least 2 to 3 days before a game to supervise the preparation of the pitches, so this pitch tampering for the 2017 test match vs India and the 2016 test match vs Australia would not have happened without Dabrera’s knowledge. It should also be noted that Thilanga Sumathipala’s betting organization, The Sporting Star, accepts bets on all cricket matches.
This Administration has however been lavish in their spending, with some relevant incidents of their largesse and maladministration listed below:-
A Cricket Aid Tamasha at Lords during the last Sri Lanka tour of England, which was an absolute flop, the accounts of which were never revealed.
Another Cricket Aid Tamasha in Melbourne which once again was a financial disaster. Most Executive Committee members and their families were sent to London and Melbourne at SLC cost for these Tamashas.
Grants of over Rs. 150 million to Clubs and Associations considered favourable towards the current administration, to obtain their loyalty and thereby their votes at election time.
A payment of Rs. 3,947,000.00 being made to Colombo Cricket Club, whose President is the SLC Treasurer Shammi Silva, purportedly for development and upgrading of its facilities for a practice match to be played there, when the Australian team was in Sri Lanka in 2016 — no match was ever played at CCC during that tour, nor were any practices held at that venue.
Australian tour accounts still not presented at the Ex Co.
Millions spent on the establishment of the Asian Cricket Council Office at SLC premises.
Extremely high expenditure for the establishment of a Brain Center and for renovations to SLC Management office.
Three prominent members of the Ex Co, including a main Office Bearer, found guilty of match fixing in a domestic tournament match. No action taken despite a damning report of an Inquiry panel headed by Mr. Palitha Kumarasinghe PC.
Rightfully or wrongfully having obtained the Free Trade Zone ground at Katunayake as the Chilaw Marians ground, the Patron of that dub, Godfrey Dabrera’s main sponsor is an Indian National. Would it not be ironical that the pitch fixing and betting scandal that has just emerged involves an Indian as the central character in the operation and the Sporting Star accepting bets on these games?
The Anti Corruption Unit of the ICC carrying out an investigation on match fixing and questioning several top officials of SLC.
Long standing Anti Corruption Manager of Sri Lanka Cricket, Retired SSP Lakshman De Silva’s contract was terminated when Thilanga Sumathipala came to office and a school day contemporary of Sumathipala and Shammi Silva, a former Police Officer Weerakkody, was appointed in his place. The ICC retains experienced people in its Anti Corruption Unit to carry out their investigations and the most experienced Investigator SLC had, was ‘dumped’ unceremoniously. We wonder why?
Millions spent on Theme song for World T20 and a premium send off event for the team.
Nidahas Trophy Income has not been disclosed and it is known that there is a shortfall of an estimated USD 5 million from the expected standard amount for such a tournament, with expenditure too, being extremely high without justification or control.
Granting of Rs. 25 million to a temple in Katugastota for a cricket campus on temple land on a 30 year lease and Rs. 25 million as a donation to the Gangaramaya Raja Maha Viharaya.
• Formation of an Asset Management company purportedly to “maximize SLC’s revenue streams under its Strategic Development Plans.” This was adversely commented on, by the COPE.
These are but a minute list of the work carried out by the current Executive Committee while the cricket standards continue to drop and our National team languishes in the bottom of the pile in International Cricket.
Pointing out on all these irregularities, they appealed Sports Minister appeal to appoint an Interim Committee to look into all these misdeeds and to streamline the Election process with necessary amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka Cricket to prevent the rampant abuse of power as practiced by the incumbent administration, leaving no room for such brazen acts to be repeated in the future.
It is noteworthy that few days ago, greatest former players like Mahela Jayawardene, Roshen Mahanama, Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan have also publicly criticised Sumathipala Led administration and called for a wholesale change.
