The newly appointed Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chairman Upali Dharmadasa said yesterday, that his main objective for the period that he will head the game in Sri Lanka would be to open and transparent administration.
Dharmadasa said “It was only yesterday that we took office and we will be manning the respective chairs only on Monday. I know there is a huge task ahead of us, but we are willing and ready to take up the challenge.
“What has happened in the past is not my concern, but what is a head of us is the challenge. I know the two biggest cricketing tasks at hand to find a new coach as a replacement to departing Stuart Law and to attend to the cricketer’s yearly contracts which are pending from February.” He said.
As for coaches, three Englishmen – former England batsman Mathew Maynard, Paul Farbrace who assisted Tom Moody while he was handling the Lankan team when Sri Lanka became the runner-up in the 2007 World cup and former England coach Peter Moor have indicated that they would like to have a go at the Lankan job.
Adding further to the conversation Dharmadasa said “At present both the national team and the ‘A’ team are overseas. We will have a close chat with the lot in the first opportunity that we get and learn their side of the story and assess the situation.
“We picked a good team where I and Nimal Perera will handle the financial and the administrative part of it while Prakash Schaffter will be the secretary. Then most of the cricketing matters will be looked after by Sidath Wettimuny – a person with a lot of experience and knowledge on the subject”.
Meanwhile Sports Minister introducing the new SLC Interim Committee admitted that there were a lot of shortcomings in the previous administration, but added that there were some good deeds done by them like increasing the number of contracted players from 28 to one hundred.
He also revealed that on his request former SLC chairman and Sri Lanka cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga who has a lot of criticism against the sports’ administrations had handed over a file that contained a lot of charges and he has already launched an investigation on the charges made in them.
The minister also said that the beleaguered Sri Lanka Premier League T-20 tournament which has hit a stumbling block with the withdrawal of the BCCI support would go on even with the other overseas cricketers who have signed up. However he also added tha he was making all possible efforts to change the stubborn Indian stance of not releasing their players for the Lankan tournament saying that Somerset Entertainments Limited had no connection with the former IPL chief Lalit Modi who is out of favour with the Indian cricket authorities at present.
The minister also said that he intended to call for elections to the cricket body early next year and the appointment of this committee was only a precursor to it.
The million dollar question
Now the ICC has proclaimed that no member country could have politically appointed personnel governing their respective boards from 2012 onwards.
However Sri Lanka is in a unique position where under the existing Sports Law of the country it is the Sports Minister who holds the right to appoint the country’s selection committees and not the board.
All in all the board may work for the game, but it is the selector who holds the final key. Yet with the new development what would be the ICC stand?
Could the Sports Minister appointed selections committees exist after 2012, or else would they have to pass another resolution? |
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