Is Sri Lanka strong enough to take on the ICC?
View(s):The International cricket council (ICC) has warned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of sanctions after the Minister of Sports appointed an interim committee recently. How should Sri Lanka respond is the million dollar question in pending. The Sunday Times spoke to different individuals to get their views on how they feel SLC should deal with the matter.
Michael Tissera (Former
Sri Lanka Cricket
captain and
Sri Lankan team
Manager from 2005 – 2007,
current cricket committee Member)
If the Ministry and the Sri Lanka Cricket board have a good enough reason i.e say due to financial irregularities that could hinder the progress of cricket then I believe we have a good enough case and should take on the ICC.
Jivan
Goonetilleke
(Partner at
a Law firm)
Realistically we are not strong enough to take on the ICC unless India was backing us up. But I find this ban unreasonable, the Sports Ministry is trying to clear off the corruption that has stagnated Sri Lankan Cricket in the past and this positive reaction is being met with a negative reaction from the ICC.
Eran Allahakoon (Captain of a
Local University cricket team)
The ICC has just woken up from a sweet slumber. All these years, politics and cricket over lapped in our little Island, for example Sanath Jayasuriya being both a parliament MP as well as a national selector but the ICC did not seem alarmed then. I feel although that this interim committee was appointed to stop corruption inevitably there will be more corruption and I am not optimistic about the future of Sri Lankan cricket.
Dr. Lekamge
Sri Lanka is not one of the power houses in the ICC like India and Australia and we should adhere to the various rules and regulations that must be followed by all member countries. There should be more transparency in the selection process and financial sector of Sri Lanka Cricket. The underlying problem being that the game has been totally commercialised thus the ethics are dictated by money giving room for corruption to seep in.
Rahul de Silva
(Executive and rugby player)
I think we can take them but ICC is a different ball game and a lot of money involved. ICC should not take such severe actions and help the Sri Lanka Cricket board in conquering the problems of corruption plaguing our national pride. It was a good step by the Sri Lankan cricket board but execution of the plan should have been executed.
Vikram Ratnam
(University student)
There have been many instances of apparent political influence on SLC that spurred no official action from the ICC but all of a sudden the ICC is sniffing in our backyard when this interim committee could possibly the most independent board Sri Lanka has had in years. The positions have been filled with the likes of Sidath Wettimuny, one of the most respected players whose ideas of revamping the chaotic cricket structure, has impressed us all. So ICC should step back and let the Sri Lankans handle this one or help us in improving our cricket infrastructure instead of imposing ludicrous bans.
Ajintha Weeratunge
(Security guard)
We cannot fight with the ICC because they are much more powerful than us. Internationally we are a small country and we should know our capabilities, size and power and if we develop bad relations with the international community it will jeopardize our standing in the international arena.
Darsha Lekamwasam
(student)
Political influence must not come into sports because morals and values of the sports are lost. But the interim committee seems to have a good case that the ICC should really hear out before lashing out at us because the withholding of such large sum of money would prove disastrous to the SLC and its progress.