In a shocking turn of events, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Vice president K Mathivanan Wednesday resigned from his post with immediate effect. In a letter, addressing SLC secretary Mohan De Silva, Mathivanan informed about his resignation.
One of the stalwart of Sri Lanka cricket, Mathivanan had contested from the business tycoon Jayantha Dharamadasa Camp in the February 2019 election. Though, all others including Dharamadasa himself lost the battle, Mathivanan, with his unmatched track record, registered an empathetic win.
Subsequently, Mathivanan also released a media statement, justifying his resignation.
His media statement reads as follows:
“I studied at the second oldest College in Sri Lanka, Hartley College, Point Pedro, Jaffna. I had an ambition of joining the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and despite the many hardships I faced, I still vividly remember the distant past, when I came to Colombo to achieve that dream.
I represented Hartley College 1st XI Cricket team and with dedication and commitment, I was also picked to represent the Jaffna Combined Colleges cricket team. A significant achievement in my cricketing career was when I played Sara Trophy cricket for Saracens Sports Club.
From humble beginnings, I was able to become a successful businessman and I was even able to provide employment in my organization to several National cricketers including Rangana Herath and Angelo Mathews.
I was the President of Colombo Colts Cricket Club for 13 years from 2000 to 2013 and the cricketing community in this country was very much aware of the services to cricket that I rendered to the game in Sri Lanka.
In 2005 I commenced my national cricket administration career by being appointed to the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket. I was appointed Honorary Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket from 2006 to 2008 and I functioned as the Vice President of Sri Lanka Cricket in 2012 and 2013.
In 2016, I was elected as a Vice President in which post I functioned until May 2018. I was once again elected the Vice President at the Cricket Board Election held in January 2019, which showed the confidence and faith that the stakeholders had in my abilities as an administrator.
Between 2016 and 2018 I was given the responsibility of being in charge of domestic cricket and subsequently, I was handed the responsibility of being in charge of International cricket.
According to the Sri Lanka Cricket Constitution, the two Vice Presidents handle the responsibilities of overseeing the Domestic and International cricket, but the current administration has chosen to ignore the norms and have now sidelined me from the mainstream of cricket administration.
At both Executive Committee and Management Committee meetings, my opinions have not been sought nor heeded. At Executive Committee meetings, I have raised several objections against the decisions taken by this administration, but they have ignored me and taken their decisions nevertheless and I feel that I would also be held responsible for these unsavory decisions, which would be detrimental to the reputation I have built up as an honest administrator. Notice of meetings and the agenda with board papers have not been circulated to me in time, preventing me from studying the implications of the matters to be discussed. I have shown my displeasure and refused to endorse the decisions taken without discussion, but the current administration goes ahead with their pre-planned ideas which are detrimental to good order and discipline. I do not wish to be part to such flippant decision making.
Cricket has been my passion as it has been to a vast majority of the population of Sri Lanka. I have dedicated my entire adult life to the game, both as a player and an administrator. I have fulfilled the aspirations of the stakeholders who placed their trust in me by voting me in as a Vice President to carry out my duties honestly and efficiently. I have fulfilled my obligations to the best of my abilities.
The current administration carries out their duties without transparency and integrity in such a manner which makes it impossible for me to remain in such a set up.
I am therefore reluctantly compelled to resign from my post as Vice President of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Even from the outside I will continue to hope for the betterment of the game of Cricket in Sri Lanka, which has fallen to its lowest depths in recent times and hope that their fortunes be revived and we regain our lost glory.
I wish to thank the Media, all stakeholder clubs, cricket fans, a section of the administration which is sadly a minority and the players who have had faith in my administrative capabilities for imposing their confidence in me.”
Unarguably one of the most honest and non-controversial administrator in Sri Lanka cricket history, Mathivanan enjoys strong backing and support in north region, including Jaffna. A long-serving champion of domestic cricket, he has always been a popular figure among the local clubs and often received the highest votes among the SLC’s vice presidential candidates.
