The Special Report

What ails the controlling body of cricket?

• What ails the controlling body of cricket?
• Transparency lacking in Cricket Board: Kiriella
• We have been let down, claims Thilanga

Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella dissolved the BCCSL committee on Wednesday and appointed an Interim Board headed by Mr. Vijay Malalasekera to look after the affairs of the BCCSL with immediate effect.

The Interim Board came into being after the Minister of Sports dissolved the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) on Wednesday. The reason given for this dissolution was that the BCCSL had violated Section 29 of the Sports Law by not properly notifying the membership of the annual general meeting scheduled for March 31. 

The four man Interim Board also comprises former national cricketers Michael Tissera, Sidath Wettimuny and Asantha de Mel. 

Mr. Malalasekera who was appointed while he was away from the country is due to return to Sri Lanka tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, the suddenly appointed Interim Board seems unsure as to how they should proceed with matters and are awaiting the return of Mr. Malalasekera.

Minister Kiriella has also stated that he will expand the Interim Board if the need arises, because the Sports Law has vested this power in him. 

According to this law it is necessary to circulate the audited accounts with the notice of the AGM and the annual report along with the list of eligible voters. However the members were not furnished with these documents in due time. 

President of the defunct BCCSL Thilanga Sumathipala said the accounts have been forwarded on March 17 as per BCCSL regulations. He also said that the BCCSL normally follows the BCCSL regulations and not the Sports Law.

Meanwhile, the term of the present Board expired on March 31 making it imperative that a separate body be appointed to look after the work of the Board during the period leading up to elections. 

On Monday, former Sri Lanka captain Anura Tennekoon was appointed for a two year term as the CEO of the Board of Control for Cricket. Mr. Tennekoon had held the post of Acting CEO since CEO Dhammika Ranatunga was sent on compulsory leave three months ago. 

He was removed from this post after he was allegedly found guilty of certain offences. 

District Judge of Colombo Sunil Rajapakse issued an enjoining order on March 26 restraining the BCCSL from holding the AGM scheduled for May 31, after the plaintiff Sumith Perera, President of the Badureliya Sports Club cited Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala, several office bearers of the BCCSL and Minister Lakshman Kiriella respondents. 

On March 28 the Colombo District Court dismissed a petition submitted by BCCSL President Thilanga Sumathipala and two others to dissolve the enjoining order restraining the annual general meeting scheduled to be held on March 31. 

Mr. Sumathipala was seeking the revocation of an order issued by the Colombo District Court on Monday following a petition filed by a rival candidate Sumith Perera. 

Since March 1999 the BCCSL has been plagued by legal battles involving Mr. Sumathipala, after Clifford Ratwatte, his rival at the 1999 BCCSL elections took him to court after the AGM in March '99. The AGM went down in the history of cricket as the most violent the sport had been party to, with allegations of rigging being freely made.

The solution was seen to be the appointment of an Interim Committee for the first time, and the then Sports Minister S.B. Dissanayake following a court order appointed Mr. Rienzie Wijetilleke as the head of this Interim Committee. 

This Interim Committee functioned for an year before the 2000 AGM was held on June 11 last year. With the other contender, Jayantha Dharmadasa pulling out at the eleventh hour, Mr. Sumathipala ran a one horse race to become President of the BCCSL uncontested. 

The reason for Mr. Dharmadasa's withdrawal from the election was that the holding of the election was unconstitutional as there was a contempt of court order in place against Mr. Sumathipala and seven others. 

District Judge of Colombo Sunil Rajapakse last week issued summons on Mr. Sumathipala and seven others, on an application made by Mr. Clifford Ratwatte, asking them to show cause on May 4 as to why they should not be charged for contempt of court. 

Transparency lacking in Cricket Board: Kiriella

By M.Ismeth

In an interview with The Sunday Times Mr. Kiriella said the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) had not submitted proper annual accounts and reports.

Following are excerpts of the interview;

Q. What made you dissolve the Cricket Board suddenly?

A. The time was opportune and I dissolved it.

Q. Any specific reason for the dissolution?

A. Under Section 29 of the Sports Law, audited accounts, the annual report and the list of members entitled to vote must be circulated a month before the AGM. Moreover, since we won the World Cup in 1996 the BCCSL had earned millions of rupees. The people know it and they talk about the BCCSL's overflowing coffers.This is where the crunch comes. There has to be transparency and acountability.It should be answerable to the people.

Q. But haven't those conditions been satisfied?

A. No, they haven't .The Cricket Board has not done it. It has not submitted the accounts or even the annual report and the list of voters. It is a clear violation of the Sports Law which cannot be rectified now.

Q. What is your opinion about the Dambulla stadium.?

A. It wouldn't have got off the ground if the then Interim Board did not abandon the Pallekelle project.

Q. Do you think that when teams from India or Pakistan visit Sri Lanka next and play in Dambulla there would be an influx of fans like the English who came in their thousands.?

A. I have my doubts. We have been playing with these two countries for the last so many years but we never had such a large contingent like the English fans.

Q .What are your immediate plans?

A. I have set up an interim board and appointed those who have been fully involved with the game and those who have cricket at heart. I am confident they will deliver the goods.

Q. Any other proposals?

A. The Treasury has given ten million rupees with which we will set up at least ten fast tracks at Kettarama. It's about time we had fast tracks. They will be a boon to our players .We have to think of the fast and bouncy pitches our cricketers played on in South Africa. Remember the next World Cup is to be played there.

Q. How about having floodlights in Dambulla?

A. No way, it will cost millions of rupees and it's a waste. 

Q. What is your opinion about taking cricket to the villages?

A.Before the Board takes cricket to the villages, it should have a ground of its own. The players in the national squad have no place to go for practices.That is why they requested that the Premadasa Stadium be made available for them for practices.When the players go to the SSC or any other grounds for practices players of the respective clubs are also at practice. This disrupts regular practices.

Q. Don't you think that the Board had been too extravagant in the recent past?

A. The important thing is not personal glorification, or lavish spending that we need.We must take better care of the players It's because of them that the money is pouring into the Board's coffers.

If the players do not perform well there won't be any crowd and there won't be any tv sponsorships and no one would want the right to telecast our matches either. See the recent West Indies tour of Australia, where the tv sponsors were losing millions due to the dismal failure of the West Indies in all five Test matches."

We have been let down, claims Thilanga

By Tania Fernando

In an interview with The Sunday Times Mr. Sumathipala claims that proper notice and copies of accounts have been circulated 14 days prior to the holding of the AGM in accordance with BCCSL regulations, even though failure to do so has been cited as reasons for the dissolution of the Board. 

"The Sports Law and the BCCSL law are different. All these years we have been following the BCCSL law which states that accounts and notice of the meeting have to be circulated seven days prior to the AGM. As such the audited accounts were circulated on the 17th of this month", he said.

According to him, there was no necessity for the minister to dissolve the BCCSL committee, as it will be automatically dissolved after March 31. "He could have appointed an interim committee after that date. He should also have had an inquiry to dissolve the Board as per the law" he said. 

Mr. Sumathipala claimed he was unaware of the dissolution of the Board and came to know of it through the media.

Rumours that he is keen to continue as the head of the BCCSL for financial reasons were denied by him.

"Money has been where I have been and I am not in it to make money. I have done my part and I am proud to have been associated with the BCCSL since 1995" he said.

He further pointed out that the Dambulla Cricket Stadium had cost only Rs. 200 million up to date and would cost a total of only Rs. 400 million when the project is completed, although rumours are rampant that it will cost more. 

"The stadium has been a tremendous success from every point of view", he said.

Inside the glass house

Editorial/ Opinion Contents