The inter-schools T-20 tournament is in progress now. Yet, the custodian of cricket in the island, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), is against this form of cricket being encouraged in the schools sphere.
So much so that SLC Vice-President K. Mathivanan has written to the Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena on 29 March to intervene and stop the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) from conducting the Schools’ T-20 tournament.
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| An ungainly shot and he is bowled……The Schools T-20 tournament in progress at the CCC grounds, yesterday. (pic Mangala Weerasekera) |
The letters states, “On behalf of Sri Lanka cricket we wish to bring to your kind notice the following initiatives and directions given by us towards the progress and development of cricket in schools has not been carried out by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA). However it is with discontent that we wish to state that the SLSCA has not acted in a timely manner and is still keen to continue playing T-20 cricket scheduled to be played in the 1st week of April 2012, instead of heeding to our advice.”
The story goes on to reveal that M.T.A. Rauf – the then secretary of the SLSCA was a member of the SLC when the initial proposal to conduct an international T-20 Schools cricket Tournament in Sri Lanka was brought forward. However the then Cricket Committee headed by cricket doyen Michael Tissera turned down the proposal claiming that T-20 cricket was detrimental to the school cricket concept and the idea was shelved.
Once the new executive committee took office the proposal resurfaced and the present Cricket Committee headed by former Sri Lanka fast bowler Graeme Labrooy stood by their predecessors and turned the proposal down. At this juncture the former SLSCA Secretary who, wise to all these developments, requested a letter from the SLC saying that he would forward the SLC stand to his committee, but up to now there has been no reciprocation.
However the schools tournament proper began yesterday with Trinity College Kandy, Wesley College, Prince of Wales Collage, De Mazenod College, Kandana, Dharmarajah College Kandy, St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, Richmond College Galle, St. Peter’s College, Maliyadeva College Kurunegala, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Gurukula College Kelaniya, St. Sylvester’s College Kandy, Thurstan College Colombo, Zahira College Colombo and St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena. |
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