” Country Before IPL ! ” Says The Bigwigs Of Sri Lankan Cricket, Probably Quite Correctly!
Posted on April 12th, 2011
Top Spin By Suni
April 11th 2011
It isn’t insult to injury, as some mayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ think that by Sri Lanka’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cricket authoritiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ mandating its cricketers playing in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) to return home for training ahead of next month’s tour of England or that they have done the Lankan players wrong. Not so at all, think many astute observevrsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as otherwise it will be a scenario of pocketbook before country rather than vice versa and Hobson’s choice for the players contracted to the IPL. BeingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ coerced to return and prepare for the English tour where playing in English conditions could be daunting and needing much conditioning and fitness as well as fine tuning the batting, bowling and fielding skillsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in order toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be competetive with the Englishmen who are tough to beat at home seems a prudent move in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ best interests of the tour from a Sri Lankan perspective.
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The Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage has stated unequivocally that the national side’s commitments take precedenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ over the IPL whichƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ despite beingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ financially lucrative for players is turning out to be a farce as was its counterpart in the Carribean, the Stanford League which eventually came a cropper due to shady deals involving its founder and financier Stanford an English Millionaire whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was reportedly incarcerated and the league dispersed.
It also seems like an excellent idea that national team players of every country curently in the national squadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ should be disentitled to play in the IPL which is not only a huge distraction but also an aberration of the norms of cricket where money simply talks, skimpily dressed girls perhaps to the indignation of their parents wave their derrieres and make indecent postures unbecoming of ladies at a gentlemen’s game where some standards of decorum need to be observed and the rest of the attributes of the game as most know probably at a token best.
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The Minister has however been graciousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ enough to suggest that “In future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team,” a very diplomatic assertionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where he has not gone as far as highlighting the materialistic aspect of such tournaments as in the end the biggest winner in such tournaments are the organisers with massive financial takes from the profits where hundreds of thousand flock toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ see a mixed bag ot players some with big names and reputations mixed with some unheard and unknown players primed for the occasion and in the end turning out to be the farce mentioned earlier where there are enough cricket competitions at international level globally and legitimately relative to the gameƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ demanding the best out of players rather than tempting their greed to appear on a playing field catering more to the organisers rather than the players themselves or the spectators to whom Its just another tournament of meaningless cricket, a social event perhaps and a day at the parkƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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The order sent out to the Sri Lankan players presently involvedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ warns that those who are selected for the three-Test series in England will have to return home for practices despite their commitments in the ongoing IPL Twenty20 tournament where the pros and cons are arguable as the cricket authorities probably knew of the IPL’s timing and the players involved but as is the case in Sri Lankan Cricket AdministrationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “a veritable bungler’s paradise” whereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ complications are the order of the day, particularly with the previous administrative setup who have now bowedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ outƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and their love to revel in it as was proven,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ albeitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ regardless of which the players now have to get their priorities together, return home or face axing at National team level and its hardly likelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that anyone would defy this!!
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There are currently ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 11 Sri Lankan national players in the IPL and at least five of them are tipped to be included in the squad for England with the likes of skipper Kumar Sangakkara and vice captain Mahela Jayawardena being part of it too.
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Despite there being no indication ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ howƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the players will be penalised if theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ defied the order and did not attend practices as required, under a new Sports Ministry decree,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they will more thanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ likely to be dropped if they did not comply and deservedly so albeit sounding harsh and draconian.
The buck ( no pun intended!) has to stop somewhere!
April 12th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Fully agree with Mahaththaya.
Indian Paga League ( as one suggested) is killing our cricket.
It gave Jayasuriya a second chance ( because he scored well in IPL) to be included in our team and he scored an average of 8 runs in all matches to make SL lose in 20-20 world cup.
It also help Indian players to get used to Mendis. Soon , other players will practice to hit Malinga.
It is only good for Indians and retired foriegners.
All existing players should be banned from participation.
April 13th, 2011 at 6:28 am
Politics in cricket?
Should it not be the Sri Lankan Cricket Board stipulating the timing of practice sessions?
This shows the pure frustration of the sports minister as he was not warmly welcomed by the BCCI in the world cup final. And now he is trying to get revenge from BCCI. I dare say he ought to be a tad careful dealing with the powerful BCCI on future tour programs.
The move by the Sri Lankan Minister is in complete contrast to the one that was taken three years ago when it cancelled a tour of England in 2009 to allow the players to participate in the T20 IPL league. However the added twist was the then Sports Minister arm twisted the SL team to play in Pakistan against the advice of the ICC security advisors. We all know what happened.Cheap political interferences.
Surely the Cricket Board, Sports Ministry must have been well aware of the SL tour committments before allowing the players to sign IPL contracts.
I will not be suprised this was aimed at Sangakara and Mahela for not bringing glory to the Govt by winning the WC and resigning for reasons the public are not aware of.
Sanga & Mahela may bring forward their international careers to an end sooner than later if we witness this kind of crass political jingoism.
Do our ministers give priority to national interests when they are delivering a service to the Nation?
April 13th, 2011 at 7:38 am
Sure Sure Terry! Take a deep breath!
All the euphemisms about revenge and related post mortems notwithstanding~ ( Indeed the Lankan Administrators who attended the CWC were treated shabbily and something for the so called big shots of the BCCI to ponder upon given how well their guys are always treated whenever they come to Sri Lanka) this is a moral issue as well as one based upon principle where the priorities need to be put into perspective relative to representing one’s country at international level where nothing else should take precedence. Yes the near disastrous decision to play in Pakistan as well as the cancelled tour of England in favour of the IPL T20 were misguided decisions.
This however is a spanking new set up avowed to setting thing in order which should be viewed objectively and hence an issue taken up under a new administration where the decisions refered to were under a previous SLC administration which bowed down and kissed the rear of the Indian Cricket Board as though they were God’s Gift to cricket! Not so at all! Regardless of their so called envisioned “power” in the eyes of some, they have no intimidatory control over the rest of the ICC participants.To add insult to injury there is even a “groping in the dark” type of Indian (a Mr.Lorgat, at the helm of the ICC which probably accounts for BCCI haughtiness at times ) who seems to be making his faltering way without reservation in an egocentric perspective towards unilateral decision making which could have dire ramifications for the next World Cup amongst other top level issues related to international cricket.Someone whose presence seems an aberration to the gentlemen’s game. He has already irked the wrath of many associate members as well as a few fully fledged members with, what apears to be his typically sub-continental tinymindedness and how he made it into the prestigious position he’s in, to say the least seems mind boggling!
Using the term political jingoism seems somewhat irresponsible as it is a borrowed cliche from some past insidious reference to a now redundant Sri Lankan cricketing setup and the new Administration needs to be given a chance to prove their net worth which in all probabilities they will. They seem to have started off on a very promising note ~ “Country before IPL ” as the title of this article refers to which seems seems spot on!
If Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardenas’ careers are going to be short lived by their own choice purely on the basis of being withdrawn from the IPL it simply proves their mettle and lack of patriotism towards their motherland and believe me nobody is indispensable in this game called cricket and there will be others who may be equally good performers or better so lets not make this an issue as it is totally irrelevant. Furthermore it is doubtfull that these players would ever sacrifice their principles and decorum to supplement their egos!
There also seems to be a semblance of truth to what Nanda has said albeit not in ite entirety that “It is only good for Indians and retired foreigners.All existing players should be banned from participation” where all existing players might be asked to sort out their national commitments as priorities before consenting towards participation in the IPL.
April 13th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
I fully agree with Nanda…. Our national team payers should be banned from playing IPL. Sir Lankan cricket board spends millions to train our cricketers, they even hire professionals to train them. Ultimately our best cricket players give batting practice to the Indian team …. Shame shame… This is one reason to lose the world cup. Lankan cricketers should be paid well to discourage participation.
April 13th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
In last few seasons, Mahela was burden to SL cricket. he was dropped once. There is no problem loosing him.
Sanga plyed extremely well for the country. If we loose him it will be set back but that will give younger players to take responsibility and flourish.
Ban Iidian Paga League !
Ban this stupid carnival of Boliwood ! This is not cricket.
I bet IPL will be bankrupt soon anyway.
April 14th, 2011 at 7:39 am
Perhaps both Mahela and Sanga need a pep talk first as one cannot dispel how valuable they are to the Team.The still is a lot of cricket left in them to be sure.
Younger players need to be primed for the responsibilities they will eventually carry, they cannot be thrust into it as the results could be disastrous. Prime example~ Sanga was given the captaincy far too early, he had talent to depend on but in the end got too carried away perhaps and made a hash of it at the CWC as many of his actions and decisions attest to.
Indeed the IPL needs to be trashed as it carries the vested business interests of India with ICC sanction and does more harm to young players than good!
Bollywood is a disgrace to traditional Indian culture as it has picked up many trappings of the decadent West and corrupts the minds of the young and impressionable eclipsing all the Asian dignity and grace the Indian film industry of yore presented to the world where the sad thing is, it is becoming infectious and polluting!
April 16th, 2011 at 4:32 am
Sunil,
Look, whole India is a disgrace to the world at the moment. Greatest liars on earth. Thier culture is gone. They want to be aggressive. They want to show off. They are shameless. As Sri lankans we too get caught to this mob.