Asantha de Mel to replace Graeme Labrooy as head of Cricket Selection Committee?
At a juncture where change is the order of the day, it is certain that there will be a different set names among the national cricket selectors. According to a senior cricket committee source, the new list of names is scheduled to be announced early next week.
Replacing Graeme Labrooy at the helm as the chairman selectors will be former national fast bowler Asantha de Mel. Prior to that de Mel also served on the interim committee of the Sri Lanka cricket board, and was chairman of selectors from 2006 to 2010. He had also served as the manager of the under-19 side.
Along with Labrooy, Gamini Wickremasinghe, Jeryl Woutersz, and Eric Upashantha will be replaced. However, at present Woutersz acts as the national cricket manager.
The rest of the new committee reads as Brendon Kuruppu, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Hemantha Wickremaratne, Chaminda Mendis while national coach Chandika Hathurusingha will be a member of the selection committee on the merit of his employment contract.
On face value there is hardly any change in the composition as all the members of the selection committee have served in this position before.
It is learned that the cricket committee also had a brain storming session with the incumbent with Hathurusingha on the non-performance of the national cricket and in the ten months that he has been at the helm as national coach, it is alleged that he has not been able to turn tables on flagging Lankan cricket.