The functioning of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has completely been paralyzed, as all the top administrators and officials are currently enjoying the ongoing T20I series in Australia, Cricket Age exclusively learns.
Yesterday (October 30), Cricket Age had published that all the top administrators, officials and their favourites of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) gathered in Brisbane to watch the second T20I of the three match series.
After the arrival of Shammi Silva as dummy president of SLC, the board has established a trend that for each and every overseas tour there must be at least over a dozen people at every venue. For World Cup, more than 50 stakeholders, ExCo members, officials went to UK. For Pakistan tour, Shammi Silva gifted that opportunity to his personal assistant Tanesh Dias and few other ExCo members.
So as per the trend, for the ongoing Australia T20 series, apart from two mandatory attenders – Shammi Silva and Vice president Ravin Wickramaratne – SLC has this time gifted overseas joyride to CEO Ashley De Silva, National Development Committee (NDC) Co-ordinator Anura Weerasinghe, ExCo Members Sujeewa Godaliyadda, Gihan Weerasinghe and Priyantha Zoysa.
Moreover, SLC secratary Mohan De Silva, COO Jerome Jayaratne (as team’s consultant coach) are also in Australia. In addition, SLC treasurer Lasantha Wickramsingha just returned yesterday after mandatory Australia tour, while assistant treasurer Lalith Rambukwella is also in Australia. Among all these, there are few top officials, who are scheduled to return to Sri Lanka only after one month holiday.
Thus, it has left SLC with no official to run the day-to-day affairs.
“Ashley De Silva has not appointed an acting CEO. So, no one is here at board at the moment to take responsibility and decisions in event of any crisis” an insider at SLC told Cricket Age.
To make things worse, while Thilanga Sumathipala – as immediate past President – has been banned, Vice president no. 3 Oshara Panditharathna (School Cricket President, included by Sports Law) has no executive powers as per board constitution.
Vice president no. 2 K. Mathivanan, meanwhile, has not been given any sort of responsibility at SLC on the instructions of the outside authorities, right from the beginning of Shammi Silva’s incompetent tenure.
“Even though Mr. Mathivanan is at SLC, it’s of no use. Reason, he is not authorised to sign bank documents, cheques. And he has also not been assigned as ‘Acting’ anything” the insider added further.
Assistant secretary Crysantha Kapuwatha, on the other hand, is anyway not involved in SLC right now, as he is overseeing presidential election campaign in Kurunegala, on the orders of higher authorities.
Obiously, due to this bad management and overseas extravaganza, Cricket in the Island, which is suffering big time. Four months on, Shammi Silva could not even resolve suspended head coach Chandika Hathurasingha’s matter, there is no permanent head coach, spin bowling coach with the national team since months and the High Performance Centre (HPC) has also been waiting for Asanka Gurusinha’s successor. Instead of resolving these burning issues, Shammi Silva, since taking over SLC on February 21, is only focusing on arranging overseas tours for all those, who voted for him in the election.
An official care taker of Sri Lanka’s most influential player Angelo Perera, Shammi’s incompetent as SLC President has been exposed months ago, but now, as SLC officials are not even interested in staying in Sri Lanka, the day-to-day functioning of the board has also been suffering big time.
“Board minutes of the last ExCo held on 18th October are still not signed as no one to sign. As there is no one to take decisions, entire board operations at a standstill” the insider added further.
However, as Shammi Silva enjoys the backing of Sports Minister Harin Fernando, there is no one to stop him from operating SLC like his private limited company. The ExCo granted approval for Management Committee (MC) members to go on staggered basis, not en-masse.
However, instead of stoping these wrongdoings, Sports Ministry also contributed in the perfect mess, by giving unethical approvals in a bid to fit Angelo Perera in future scheme of things (there is a rumor in Sri Lanka Cricket that after November 16, he might be appointed captain of national team for all three formats!).
“The ministry has wrongly not only given permission for these people to go, but has also approved business class air fare and 10 days allowance at 500$ per day” the insider concluded.
No officials at SLC to run it –
President – Australia
Immediate Past President – banned
Vice President 1 – Australia
Vice President 2 – Not mandated
Vice President 3 – No executive powers per constitution
Secretary – Australia
Asst. Secretary – Kurunegala (Election campaigning)
Treasurer – Australia (just returned)
Asst. Treasurer – Australia
CEO – Australia
COO – Australia
