Sports

Two of Sri Lankas most successful cricketers Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva who have been on opposing sides on the Administration front of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have joined hands to come forward together as a team at next months elections.

The Arjuna-Aravinda alliance is part of a group of renowned past test captains and cricketers who are coming forward to take control of Sri Lanka Cricket following allegations of widespread corruption and mismanagement of finances by successive administrators in the past.

The past cricketers group have put forward two conditions to the two main candidates Jayantha Dharmadasa and Thilanga Sumathipala (or his nominee) who are expected to contest next month’s election. The group insists that eleven, out of the twenty one positions of the SLC Executive committee should be given to their group and the Cricket Committee should be incorporated in the SLC constitution.

The convenor for the past cricketers group who wished to remain anonymous confirmed to the Sunday Times that they want to hold all key positions that are directly related to the game and also have a hand in some of the important administrative matters of SLC. Accordingly The Sunday Times learns that one of the two positions for Vice Presidents, Asst.Secretary, Asst.Treasurer, Chairman Tournament committee and Chairman Umpires committee are among the 11 positions requested by the past cricketers.

Representatives of this group have had detailed discussions with Dharmadasa and Sumathipala separately on this matter in the last 48 hours and are expecting a favourable outcome from either both potential candidates or at least one candidate. If both the candidates do not agree, the past cricketers insists that they will be taking the matter up with President Mahinda Rajapaksa as they are of the opinion that the President will definitely support the past cricketers coming forward in their bid to take control of the game.

The ex-cricketers group ruled out contesting next month’s elections although the group has already received overwhelming support from some of the clubs that are expected to vote at the elections.

When asked if Arjuna and Aravinda who were in opposing camps agreed to come together one of the past cricketers in the group said,’For the sake of Sri Lanka Cricket both Arjuna and Aravinda have agreed to this move. In fact both are in England at the moment, but we have discussed this matter with both and they have also spoken to each other and agreed and given their consent to us on the matter’.

Nominations for the SLC elections will close on the 1st of July and elections are scheduled to be held on July 15.