Sports

The title of the article by that veteran cricket scribe, in the Sunday Tines in Sunday Musings with S.R. Pathiravithana on June 18th, prompted me to send this rejoinder.

Sri Lanka Cricket has had its Kingmakers from a long time ago, some more conspicuous than others. Since SRP starts with the late Gamini Dissanayake we need not go beyond.

It was a brilliant off break by Gamini’s immediate neighbour who ‘inducted’ him into Sri Lanka cricket, thereby ensuring unto himself a long and unfettered run as Kingmaker. In fact, upon the untimely death of Gamini – who I believe is given more credit than he deserves for SL gaining Test status at the expense of some others whose efforts have been overshadowed – this same Kingmaker played no small part in the installation of Ana Punchihewa as successor, uncontested at the end, after Upali Dharmadasa pulled out of the race.

In that unforgettable year of supreme success in winning the World Cup, many other success, firsts and innovations have gone unnoticed and unsung. The Board hired its first overseas coach in the form of Dav Whatmore, team sponsorship was negotiated and obtained for the first time, the Board constitution was amended to create and establish the position of the Chief Executive Officer, a Corporate Plan was devised with inputs from all the stake holders, SL co-hosted the World Cup with great success, the Board Office was refurbished and new administrative measures introduced, among several other achievements……And in that year the next Kingmaker emerged.

To have conspired and engineered from within, the dumping of the President within three weeks of winning the World Cup, was indeed the unkindest cut of all. Upali Dharmadasa beat Ana Punchihewa at a highly charged and tense election held for first time away from the Board Headquarters at the BMICH and amidst the threatening presence of “rough looking outsiders”. The run up to the poll was dirty, nasty and nauseating. SL Cricket today reaps the bitter fruits of those sordid seeds sewn then for the first time.

I invite writer (or any other so inclined) to research and report on the real circumstances that let to the fracture of what was an excellent team under Ana Punchihewa. Such a research will find that the co hosting of the World Cup and the opportunities that the event presented, both in fame and fortune, were irresistible to a man of chance.

It was only a matter if time before the Kingmaker crowned himself, and when that happens such a King is not easily dethroned, for he knows only too well the tricks of the trade. He would rein either sitting on the throne or being the power behind it. He would proceed to make petty Kingmakers, such as the one referred to by the said journalist, feel that they are indeed the Kingmakers. Such petty Kingmakers switching allegiance is of little consequences as will be seen in the weeks to come. - Straight Bat