The Sri Lanka Cricket Board’s (SLC) move to bring all the people’s from a specific community and remove Buddhist from the setup has raised many eyebrows. The million dollar question is that whether it is only a coincidence or a well planned conspiracy?
2018 could be termed as the worst year in Sri Lanka cricket history. On field, off field, within the board and internationally too, Sri Lanka cricket became the synonymous of controversies during last eleven months. And now, there is another controversy is hitting the already depleted SLC that there is a sinister move going on to remove all the Buddhist from the setup!
In last few months, SLC has taken lot of such decisions that indicates the possibility of this sinister plot. First, SLC COO Jerome Jayarathne called Anti Corruption head Ayush Weerkoddy and fired him on the phone itself, by saying that they can remove anyone at anytime! Then, Sri Lanka high profile Coach Chandika Hathurusingha suddenly, during an ongoing international match, demanded the removal of team manager Charith Senanayake. Now, Hathurusingha has targeted fielding coach Manoj Abeywikrama and most likely after the conclusion of the England series, he will also be removed. Coincidentally, all of them are Buddhist!
In another coincidence, in last few months, SLC has appointed or recruited mostly those, who are born again Christians. By removing Charith Senanayake, SLC appointed Jerry Woutersz. In place of Manoj Abeywikrama, Hathurusingha is trying to bring Ruwan Kalpage, who is also a born again Christian. In addition, Ashley De Silva has also brought Harsha De Silva as the coach of women’s team.
Not only this, recently SLC has announced an advisory committee and most of the the members – Michael Zoysa, Jerome Jayarathne and Hathurusingha are born again Christians. Rest of the members – Ashley De Silva and Ken Elvis – are Christians. Subsequently, SLC are likely to replace Chairman of selectors Graeme Labrooy with Asantha De Mel, who is again a born again Christian!
And then, there was even a move to get the National team addressed by another pastor from a born again church.
The move of SLC has already created a havoc within the staff. Minor staff and administrators, officials, who are Buddhist, are fearing to lose their jobs.
“There is a growing fear within the SLC. No doubt about this. When this kind of things happens again and again, whether it is true or not, people tends to get feared. And obviously, some of the removal and appointments in the last few months, have raised serious questions” a top SLC official told Cricket Age.
In last two years, SLC has already become the most notorious cricket board in the world with plethora of scandals, conspiracies, match fixing allegations, on and off field behavior of players, mismanagement, frauds. Now, if there is any truth behind in the this particular move, then the SLC is certainly heading towards another disaster!
