Chandika Hathurusingha, the high profile Coach, has charged Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) a whopping 60,000 US dollars for his annual statistical and assessment report on the national team, Cricket Age reliably learns.
In December 2017, then SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala hijacked Hathurusingha from the Bangladesh and had appointed him as the head coach of Sri Lanka, making him world’s third highest paid coach after England’s Trevor Bayliss and India’s Ravi Shastri with a monthly salary of 6 million.
According to sources, Hathurasingha had sent a statistical and assessment report of the national team for year 2018 and has charged 60,000 US dollars. Cricket Age understand that SLC CEO Ashley De Silva has also approved the payment.
The most shocking fact is that as per the contract of Hathurusingha with SLC, he is entitled to submit two such assessment reports in a year at the cost of 120,000 US dollars!
“This is disgusting. And a national crime to rob that much money from the SLC for mere an assessment report. In addition, he gets millions of rupees every month as salary. It proves that SLC’s interest and priority only is Hathurasingha. With this money, SLC could have arranged half a dozen overseas tours for A or emerging teams and could have developed the game in the Island” a former SLC President told Cricket Age.
Currently, Hathurusingha is in the middle of his two years contract with Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC). However, his tenure so far has been marred with poor performance of the national team and off field controversies. Since taking over the team in December 2017, Hathurusingha has turned out a white elephant for Sri Lanka cricket. Despite enjoying 6 million salary per month, Sri Lanka slipped significantly in world cricket, with embarrassing defeats against lower ranked teams like Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka were knocked out from the Nidhahas Trophy at home and Asia Cup. Recently, Sri Lanka have lost all three series against England despite being the host.
However, more than poor showing of Sri Lanka team on field, it is the off field controversies surrounding Hathurusingha, that completely ruined his credentials. In Bangladesh he was just a coach, but in Sri Lanka, he took over everything under his control from a weakened and depleted SLC.
From the beginning, he sidelined every single domestic coach of Sri Lanka and filled national team with his close associates. Moreover, he became that much powerful that he also started to decide the airlines of the national team!
However, Sumathipala is equally responsible for hiring Hathurusingha at inappropriate terms and conditions. In order to divert attention from his administration wrongdoings, Sumathipala hired Hathurusingha and obeyed all his terms. Now, Sumathipala has been done and dusted but SLC is still burdening Hathurusingha!
