The Special Report

12th March 2000

Cricket Board: bawing bouncers

By Hiranthi Fernando and Nilika de Silva

Elections to the BCCSL for this year were to be held today, but were suddenly postponed on a directive issued by the Sports Minister after allegations surfaced over the accounts for the period when there was hectic infighting in the controlling body. A three-member committee comprising state acccountants is further studying the balance sheet while the future of the board hangs in the balance.

The committee report is expected early next week and the Sports Ministry will then take a decision on when or whether to hold new elections to the crisis-ridden board.

Two big businessmen have so far come forward as candidates for the much sought after post of cricket board president. Thilanga Sumathipala, a former president who lost the job on a court order, has obtained the required consent of the Minister of Sports to contest for a third term, while Jayantha Dharmadasa, brother of one-time board president Upali Dharmadasa, has also obtained the Minister's approval to run for the presidency.

Under the sports law, the minister must approve the nomination of a candidate who is running for a third term.

With the alleged thuggery and intimidation during the last elections still on the field, most cricket fans are cynical or sceptical whether law and order could be restored in the board while some feel, it would be better to continue with the interim committee which though unelected has helped revive the spirit of World Cup 1996.

In the run-up to the annual general meeting, district cricket associations and division one clubs which sent representatives to the board are holding their own elections for new committees. But many of those too have run into trouble or controversy. There are 127 votes at stake at the elections for the board presidency with each district association and member club having two votes while affiliated members are eligible for one vote.

As the battle goes on for the most prestigious sports post in the country, violence and intimidation have spread to the district associations and clubs as well, turning this gentleman's game virtually into a rowdy' one.

The most serious incident took place at the election to the Anuradhapura District Cricket Association, with Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne — one of the candidates for the association's presidency — being atacked with grenades. The Sunday Times interviewed chief actors in the cricket drama to give our readers all sides of the story. so that you could be the umpire and say who is out or not out.

Cricket budget billions - Auditor General must come in

Cricket Board Interim Committee Chairman Rienzie Wijetilleke, who is also the Managing Director of Hatton National Bank and is regarded as one of the country's top bankers, says large amounts of money were involved in cricket today and the finances need to be closely monitored and audited.

Stressing the importance of public accountability, Mr. Wijetilleke says cricket is a national asset and the money it brings in is a national resource. Excerpts:

Big money

"The most important factor is that unlike other sports bodies, the Cricket Board has, like a big company, come to handle hundreds of millions of rupees. Largely due to our victory at the World Cup, a lot of money is coming into the country.

"The Cricket Board was a small entity a few years ago. Since 1996, it has suddenly become a large body. Unfortunately, the Cricket Board was used to a certain style of management. Our problem is the administrative structure has not geared itself to take up this type of added responsibility, particularly in terms of the funds it has been receiving. It had a small accounts department.

Earlier, the books were being kept by an outside body. This was bad management.

"At the time we took over, we found there were only a couple of book-keepers and a junior accountant who were dealing the accounts. We felt it was unsatisfactory because hundreds of millions of rupees were involved.

"The Interim Committee had genuine concerns over accounts of the period that preceded its tenure.

"There had been little if any control over expenditure. There was hardly anything by way of buying procedures or budgetary controls. As a result, large amounts of funds had been wasted. For instance, name cards which could be done for Rs. 4 had been done at a cost of Rs. 12. Cars had been hired paying Rs.45,000 whereas a car could be hired for around Rs.25,000.

Regional Boards

"The last executive committee had created a system of regional boards, which were not provided for under the Sports Law or in the constitution.

"These regional boards were created largely to disburse funds of the Central body. Through these regional boards, district associations and clubs obtained funds.

"We found that the people appointed to the regional bodies were far too obliged to the central body. Transactions with the regional bodies lacked accountability or transparency.

"We have now arranged for audits to be carried out to ascertain how justifiable the expenditure had been.

"I am strongly of the view that since the Cricket Board is now a national resource and our team a national asset, those administering the Cricket Board should be made accountable not only to the member clubs but also to the public.

Regional elections

"Under the present set up, the president and the ex-co are elected by the votes of the member clubs.

"The appointment of officials to the member clubs has raised many queries. There are irregularities reported in these appointments and the registration of these clubs. The annual general meetings of these regional clubs are being held these days as by law they have to be completed prior to the AGM of the central body. More than a dozen of these clubs have reported irregularities and divisions. There are also court injunctions against the holding of elections in certain regions.

More money

"We have recommended the appointment of a supervisory body over and above the Cricket Board. We also feel that the annual audit of the Cricket Board should be carried out by the Auditor General. We have to prevent the irregular activities in the Cricket Board.

"With every victory for our cricket team, we are getting more and more sponsorships. The income between June 1999 and August 2000 is expected to be more than Rs. 500 million.

"With the national team doing so well, no doubt, there will be more sponsorships and tours, leading to much higher income. Unless there is proper streamlined administration at the centre, we will leave room for a small group of people who get elected through the clubs and their obligations are only to these clubs. People holding national office should have acceptance. The quality of administrators is of utmost importance. We have to safeguard Cricket in Sri Lanka.

ACC accounts

"Sri Lanka was the president of the Asian Cricket Council until last year. When the interim committee took over at the request of the Minister of Sports, we did not get involved in the transfer of this office. We left it to the president of the ACC.

"The funds of the ACC were held in Hatton National Bank, Colombo. With problems in Pakistan, where again an interim board was appointed, their authority in ACC was in doubt.

"However, at a meeting in Colombo last month, presided by me and attended by the former ACC President, most of the problems were sorted out. I agreed to accept certification of Pakistan officials by their High Commission in Sri Lanka and funds were transferred to Pakistan accordingly.

"However, certain records, vis-a-vis details of financial transactions, payment vouchers etc., were to be handed over to the Pakistan authorities by the former president".

I accept the challenge: Premaratne

Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne says he sees Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayke's call for re-elections to the Anuradhapura District Crikcet Association as a personal challenge to him and he accepts that challenge. But Mr. Premaratne has put forward a condition.

"I was nominated by the Jayanthi Club and Mr. Dissanayake by the Rajarata Club. Therefore before the re-election, I believe we must resign from our clubs and hold fresh club elections first."

"Mr. Dissanayake openly said he would be there for five years while I would last only five months . The cricket-loving people of Anuradhapura wants a change. But their wishes were suppressed. For two years he did little for the development of cricket.

Grenade incident

"I am not happy with the police investigations into the incident. I want the CID to take over the case. Cricket has become a "gambling game" in the hands of some administrators. If the election had been held in a proper climate, the division of votes would have taken place in a healthy manner."

Berty scoffs at grenade

North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, who was re-elected recently as president of the Anuradhapura cricket Association, says he is ready to contest his rival Shantha Premaratne at any place. Excerpts:

"On whatever date he wishes, at whatever time he wishes, at whatever place he wishes, I am ready to face a re-election to the cricket association.

"Since Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne felt that an injustice had been done to him, I wrote to him asking him to let me know within a week when he would like a re-election.

"Regarding the incident in which hand grenades were thrown at Mr. Premaratne, I would like to say that investigations have revealed something strange — the grenade had been thrown from the place where the victim was.

"The clip and the cap of the grenade had fallen in such a way as to show that it was thrown from the same place where the victim was. "I believe there is no connection between the grenade attack and the cricket elections".

Fair and good administration producing results: Skanda

Interim Committee member S. Skandakumar says if one wants to look objectively at the future of cricket in the country, there are a lot of good lessons to be learned from the past nine months.

"We should analyse how it was made possible to achieve the results of these past nine months."

"Mistakes have been made. However, the past is the past. Let us concentrate on the future. Give the cricketers the confidence to perform. In nine months, we have beaten Australia, the reigning champions in one day cricket, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. We could not ask for more. We have contributed to this success by providing an administration that is fair and firm.

"The confidence of the team has now been regained. There is mutual respect between the players and the administration. The resurgence of national cricket has also been largely due to the return of Dave Whatmore as coach. Last June, when I went to London for the ICC meeting, I visited him in Manchester and we negotiated his return. He came back because he had confidence in the new administration. The courage of the selectors in making the necessary changes in the team has also been a contributory factor to our success.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Last May we were ranked 9th on the CEAT rating. Now Sri Lanka ranks 3rd".

Thilanga shows a straight bat

Former Cricket Board President Thilanga Sumathipala claims the board was financially sound when the interim committee took over from him and he is ready to face any inquiry regarding the recent audit report.

Mr. Sumathipala who is seeking to run for the board presidency for the third term, also accused the interim committee leaking a confidential audit report in a bid to undermine or discredit him. Excerpts:

"The postponement of the 1999 Cricket Board election is an arbitrary action. There were no reasons given. When there is an interim committee, elections have to be held at the end of its term. The BCCSL election belongs to the membership. There is no provision for the minister to interfere with the accounts. I am answerable to the general membership.

"The annual accounts are usually audited every year. In 1999, there was an audit of the accounts for the six months from January 1 to June 30 by the Interim Committee. I learned through the media and through the member clubs that a query was sent by the auditors to the Interim Committee. The auditor's letter specifies that it is private and confidential, not for publication. The Interim Committee got the audit queries done for a six month period and made this freely available to the public. How did it become a public document?

"There was a permanent staff at the BCCSL. The Interim Committee employed a Finance Manager and bypassed the permanent staff who were not given an opportunity to answer the audit queries before it became public. To date, I have not been summoned or asked any questions regarding these queries. However, I have written to Minister S. B. Dissanayake and the auditors to convey my willingness to answer any queries. When I took over in 1998, the accounts had not even been passed. I had to have an extraordinary general meeting to get the accounts passed.

"As regards the Asian Cricket Council, files pertaining to 1998 /1999 were handed over to the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka in September 3 last year. The new committee requested me to assist them in finalising the account. It asked for copies of documents relating to expenses incurred for the AGM, travelling and bank charges, amounting to about US$4,000 since these had been lost during the change of office bearers".

Inside the glass house

Editorial/ Opinion Contents