Cricket: Sri Lanka to be given ‘stern lecture’ upon return

Country’s sports minister launches attack on cricket team.

COLOMBO:

Sri Lanka’s preparation for the opening One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa received a massive blow when its sports minister launched a scathing attack at the team, terming it ‘plagued by politics’ and deep in a ‘crisis-like situation’.

Sri Lanka lost the three-match Test series 2-1 – the win in the year-ending Test being the team’s solitary win in the format during 2011 – but aim for a change in fortunes in the shorter format of the game. The minister, however, vowed to deliver a ‘stern lecture’ to the players upon their return to Sri Lanka later this month.

“I plan to meet them when they return,” said Mahindananda Aluthgamage. “I feel there’s a lot of politics in the team and that’s spilling over onto the cricket pitch. It’s very unfortunate that they’re not clicking off the field and the results are visible when they play.”

Recently, captain Tillakaratne Dilshan rued a weak domestic structure for the dismal time Sri Lanka has had of late – they lost to Pakistan on the tour of the UAE – and questioned his players’ attitude towards cricket.

Aluthgamage also downplayed the financial crisis that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has portrayed itself in, arguing that ‘it has been blown out of proportion’ and the situation will be ‘stabilised after March’ when the $4 million owed by the International Cricket Council are paid to the SLC.

Former captain questions elections

Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne, who is now a politician, has claimed that there was political interference in the SLC elections held on January 3 and has informed the ICC of this, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Tillakaratne alleged that Sri Lanka’s government allowed a change of voting delegates later in the day in order to ensure that votes were cast for a predetermined list of candidates, and that several of those elected were not qualified to hold office under the constitution.

According to Tillakaratne, the elections violated the ICC’s rules, which seek to prevent governments from interfering in the administration of the sport.

“Due to heavy political interference the membership of the SLC have been deprived of an opportunity to have free and fair elections,” said the former captain.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2012.