The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has extended the contract of Farveez Maharoof as U19 team manager until the next World Cup to be held in January 2020 in South Africa, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The decision was taken during the previous Management Committee (MC) meeting.
“The extension for Maharoof was approved at MC and it will be tabled at today’s ExCo” a senior SLC administrator told Cricket Age.
It is noteworthy that In last few months, Maharoof has become one of the most high profile and influential former player in Sri Lanka, largely due to his high level connections at SLC. Maharoof already drawing two salaries from SLC, as he is also in the U19 selection committee. Apart from this, he also does commentary, writes for news papers without any hurdle with the blessings of his guardians.
During the Asia Cup as well, Maharoof conduct as Team manager was questionable! Midway through the tournament, for an entire day, he left the team for the inauguration of his new venture, a pre school in Dehiwala, Colombo. Former Sri Lanka players Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Aravinda De Silva all were present for the inauguration of his pre-school.
It resulted in an embarrassment for Sri Lanka Cricket, as his involvement in other commitments allowed U19 team players to focus on other things than the cricket. Maharoof’s incompetence and team manager was the prime reason for that incident, where three U19 players were caught drunken after team’s last match against India in the recently concluded Asia Cup.
Until few months back, Sri Lanka U19 tram had a retired army officer Nalinda Illangakoon as Team manager. During his tenure, the team never faced this sort of embarrassment. His army background helped him big time in maintaining discipline in the dressing room and motivating them to play as an unit. But, SLC mysteriously removed him and brought manipulative Maharoof. Now, as Maharoof is busy, as usually, in his other commitments, now even Sri Lanka cricket’s next generation is losing its focus.
However, as soon as Shammi Silva took over as SLC President with the blessings of his Boss Thilanga Sumathipala, the board shown the doors to Illangakoon and reintroduced Maharoof IN Sri Lanka, these time also as an allrounder (as he is eyeing on every vacant SLC post Now).
