The prestigious Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) has unanimously decided to cast it’s both votes in favor of Shammi Silva camp in the forthcoming Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) office bearers election, Cricket Age exclusively learns. The decision was taken during the club’s ExCo meeting earlier this week.
The club, which was founded in 1888, name “Nondescripts” is derived from the fact it was intended to be open to anyone, unlike other Colombo-based clubs at the time such as Sinhalese Sports Club, Moors Sports Club and Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club which were aligned with a particular ethnic group. Traditionally, NCC over the years used to give one vote each to both the rivals camps in the cricket board elections. This time around, however, they have shown complete faith in Shammi Silva and his candidates.
“During the ExCo, it was decided to cast both votes in favor of Shammi Silva camp. The decision was taken unanimously” an Insider at NCC told Cricket Age.
It has learned that premier club Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) cricket committee’s recommendation to support Shammi Silva camp has played a big role in changing other clubs strategy for the election. On April 30, Cricket Age had exclusively published that SSC’s Cricket house committee chairman Mahela Jaywardene recommended his club to back Shammi Silva and Mohan De Silva. Mahela, the greatest Messiah Sri Lanka has ever produced, enjoys a cult status in the Island and currently hold half a dozen high profile posts (Including Chairman Sports Council and SSC Cricket Committee), without bothering of conflict of Interest.
“When Mahela and SSC Cricket House committee recommended to support Shammi Silva, it’s obvious that other clubs will also follow the trend. SSC cricket committee decision to back Shammi Silva camp has already decided the fate of the election” a cricket expert in Sri Lanka told Cricket Age.
On May 12, Cricket Age had published that the much awaited board election for choosing office bearers to run the game in the Island for next two years to be held on a virtual platform because of the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the surge in Covid cases, along with SLC, it’s high performance center at Khetterama and all cricket clubs are also shut down and only Cricket director Tom Moody is working in entire Sri Lanka cricket, in the middle of a pandemic!
“Due to the Inter-Provincial travel restriction, more than 90% stakeholders have given their consent to held a virtual election in this difficult time. Accordingly, the Sports Ministry has already decided to hold the cricket elections through zoom.” a top SLC official had told Cricket Age.
Last month, as Shammi Silva’s committee term was over, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa had appointed a five member Cricket Management Committee until the elections of Sri Lanka Cricket is held. Professor Arjuna de Silva was appointed as the head of the committee.
This year, 142 votes cast by regional associations and clubs (comprising four provincial associations, six other cricket associations such as the Defense Services Sports Board and the Sri Lanka University Sports Association, 22 district associations, 28 controlling clubs and 22 affiliated clubs) will decide the office bearers for Sri Lanka Cricket.
The election will be held as scheduled on May 20.
