Letter To Sri Lanka Cricket
Suni Perera Top Spin By
Suni
October9th 2007
Dear Sri Lanka Cricket,
As an independent free-lance sports writer and a dedicated follower
of Sri Lankan Cricket I would like to add to the following attached
media bulletin under the caption "Minister summons cricket selectors."
I'm sure you agree that a majority of cricket boards in the world are
in a shambles today because of incorrect and unfair decision making
by officials not properly equipped for the task of team selection at
the highest level and this seems to be happening in Sri Lanka as well
according to a general consensus amongst many analysts and observers
with particular reference to what's going on in Sri Lanka Cricket currently.
This did not seem to be the case in the not too distant past but very
recently the integrities towards player selection based on merit and
performance seems to have gone by the boards and as the item below points
out many deserving players have been overlooked for selection and a
few mediocre players have been offered their place.The latest victim
of this unfortunate scenario seems to be one of Sri lanka's most versatile
players Tillekeratne Dilshan who has been left out of the squad to tour
Australia and if this is an error of ommission needs to be rectified
immediately.Dilshan is no passenger as we have seen in his last brilliant
performance in the 3rd ODI at Dambulla and it seems ludicrous that someone
could even think of axing him from the squad.The other examples cited
too have their merits towards reconsideration with a view towards maintaining
the good image of Sri Lankan Cricket at its highest level, namely management
at a cut above the rest so why not be the role model towards fairness
for the deserving and not sink in the mire of the administrative errors
of some of the others?
We Lankans are a magnanimous and just people who always believe in fair
play and have received many accollades from many prominent cricketing
personalities such as the much respected Tony Greig, the Carribean adjudicator
of fair play Tony Cozier the lovable and ubiquitous David LLoyd, the
outspoken and classy David Gower and a host of others of equal repute
and qualifications towards their opinions who have often remarked about
the shining example of effervesence and decorum of Sri Lanka Cricket
and its players who have raised the game to a very high level and have
contributed so much towards it so what seems to be going on presently
within your organization?
While they obviously cannot be Freudian Slips by a misguided few due
to the repetitive nature of the tendency to incriminate certain players
I'm sad to observe, it simply isn't cricket! It seems victimization
of the deserving based on whimsical decision making by a fickle few
(while maintaining a stiff upperlip on favouritism) and while there
is most importantly a need to blood young players for the future it
is also important to retain the obligations due towards high performing
acheivers and simply not incarcerate them just because they have had
a lean run.These are brilliant players whose brilliance is bound to
surface sooner than later as was the case of Dilshan who despite the
dissapointment of his exclusion from the forthcoming Australian tour
rose to the occasion.
The others mentioned in the attached document were simply not given
a chance despite some of their performances at the highest level of
local competition and a slightly lower International level and the burning
question being asked by so many is WHY? Will there be others to follow
relative to how bleak their performances have been with names such as
Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva which come to mind
where there could be others based upon your kind of criteria whatever
that may be in a very negative perspective towards the decision making!
It might also be added that despite the perks and incentives of cricket
at the zenith of competiton there could come a time of crisis for Sri
Lanka Cricket if players with a strong sense of integrity decided to
be loyal to their axed fellow players and stood by them and refused
to participate until there was some kind of redress and damage repair
to the situation at hand and one need not look too far as the case of
Zimbabwe Cricket stands out! Does Sri Lanka need to go in that route
and face the related travails which could easily throw our cricket crazy
nation into turmoil or is it time to take a closer look at the issue
of player selection based on merit and performance and seal the cracks
effectively?
The opportunity seems to have been presented towards the very redress
and damage repair refered to by the summoning of the representatives
of the SLC Board by the Sports Minister and it is hoped it would be
put to good use!
Best regards
Minister summons cricket selectors
Tuesday, October 09,2007
COLOMBO: Concerned that several senior cricketers and Sri Lanka Cricket
interim committee chief Jayantha Dharmadasa have voiced displeasure
against the national selectors, Sports minister Gamini Lokuge has invited
all national selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee members
to his office for an urgent meeting today.
Allrounder Upul Chandana who announced his retirement a few weeks ago
criticised the selectors and then Sri Lanka Cricket interim Committee
chairman Dharmadasa joined the criticism.
If the best player was not offered a place there is something
wrong with the selecting process" Dharmadasa told the BBC referring
to the non-selection of Anil Ridegammanagedara who was adjudged the
most outstanding player of the last season by both Sri Lanka Cricket
and also the Players Association.
Then former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu joined the growing list
of selection critics last week when he tuned his back on the selectors
who wished to recall him for the tour of Australia.
I will not attend any meeting as long as it is chaired by Mr.
de Mel, 37-year old Atapattu told the BBC.
"The players can't dictate their terms to the selectors, but I
want to understand why the players have been showing dissatisfaction
towards them", Lokuge told the Daily Mirror.
"I have sent a message to CEO (Duleep Mendis) and invited all interim
committee members (Jayantha Dharmadasa-Chairman, K. Mathiwanan, secretary
and Sujeewa Rajapakse-treasurer) and the four selectors (Ashantha de
Mel- chairman, Don Anurasiri, Ranjith Madurasinghe and Jayantha Seneviratna)
at my office at 10.00 a.m.", he said.
However, one of the four selectors- Jayantha Seneviratne- will be leaving
with the Sri Lanka A team
|
|
Disclaimer: The comments contained
within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents
of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the
views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual
authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any
loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which
you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or
reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of
the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .
BACK TO LATEST
NEWS
DISCLAIMER
|