Apsari Tillakaratne, the high profile coordinator of Sri Lanka Women’s team and wife of former test player Hashan Tillakaratne, has again managed to convince Top officials to go outstations for her so called initiative of big matches by manipulating within the board, Cricket Age reliably learns.
During former president Thilanga Sumathipala tenure at Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC), Hashan Tillakaratne had mysteriously managed to bring Apsari in the SLC setup without any qualifications. Sumathipala too bowed down due to pressure of a top politician and had appointed her as the coordinator of women’s Team, even though she had no prior experience in Cricket field. In order to oblige Tillakaratne’s, Sumathipala even gifted her an unmatched salary package as well.
But Tillakaratne’s were committed to make full use of Sri Lanka Cricket, so SLC invented so called outstation big matches drama, so Apsari could claim travel, stay allowances and make his political campaign on SLC money.
Few months ago, though, then Competent Authority of SLC Kamal Padmasiri rated big matches initiatives just a waste of money with no return, so he stopped it.
However, now as Chulananda Perera took over as SLC Competent Authority, Apsari has managed to manipulate within SLC and convinced top officials to start outstations big matches again, that too without the knowledge of Chulananda Perera.
“In Sri Lanka cricket, just one thing is permanent : that Tillakaratne’s will always remain on top posts at SLC, irrespective of who rules the board. Reason, Tillakaratne’s are like frogs, who jumps from one side to other for their survival” a top SLC Official told Cricket Age.
Cricket Age also learns that both Apsari and Hashan have dumped Sumathipala long time ago as they found him useless after being knocked out of SLC election race. Not only this, now Hashan is canvassing against Sumathipala at any possible platform. According to sources Sumathipala’s close associate Sujeewa Godaliyadda has also complained about Hashan and Apsari Tillakaratne’s betrayal.
In last two years, ever since she took over as coordinator, Sri Lanka Women’s team has become one of the weakest team in world Cricket. Even though, she has been visiting Sri Lanka since last two years, she couldn’t find a single player for the national team! All she gets from her outstation trips are hundreds of photographs, mileage, branding and publicity.
The observers of Sri Lanka Cricket believes that her nationwide trips have nothing to do with Cricket. Instead, all these showoff for her political aspirations.
“She has political ambitions and she wants to contest the next election from Pohottuwa, from former Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party” the SLC official added further.
