Sri Lanka’s ground staff stand on the covered field during rain at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International stadium, in Suriyawewa, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)It all looked silly. Nothing to be surprised given the way the Cricket Interim Committee has functioned in recent times. On Wednesday evening SLC announced that the five match ODI series between Sri Lanka and West Indies has been called off due to inclement weather, then there was some pressure from a board official in Colombo and for two hours no one knew what was going on.
By evening, SLC made a complete U turn again and said the series is on. But when everyone turned up yesterday afternoon for the curtain-raiser of the series here at Suriyawewa, the announcement came again that the series has been postponed.
The West Indies didn’t bother to turn up at the ground yesterday and it looked as if the tourists knew about the weather patterns more than the host board.
SLC said yesterday that they had agreed with the West Indies board to reschedule the series for January, but it’s expected to be a shortened one with both teams playing three One-Day Internationals, just before the World Cup. The cancellation, apart from incurring financial losses to both SLC and the host broadcaster Ten Sports, could have serious repercussions to the interests of the national cricket team for many reasons.
Firstly, since last August, Sri Lanka has played just three One-Day Internationals and with no other series scheduled ahead of the World Cup, the national team will be terribly short of match practice. Lack of matches also denies the national selectors an opportunity to take a look at some of the fringe players, who have done well for the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team in recent months. The developments aren’t the ideal ones ahead of a tournament such as the World Cup.
Interim Committee officials were yesterday quick to pass the buck, saying that the series was part of the Future Tour Programme and had been scheduled in 2005 in response to the intense criticism they were attracting for scheduling the series in the rainy period. However, there will be no escape from the fact that they haven’t been able to finish construction of the ground on time.
Construction work on the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium here in Suriyawewa, along with the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy was supposed to be completed by November 30. After not being able to make the initial deadline, SLC made an official statement saying that they will finish construction by the 31st of December, but it looks a safe bet to say that the venues wouldn’t be complete before the 31st of December.
The two main pavilions here in Suriyawewa are far from complete and so are the uncovered stands on either side of the ground.
The Head of Sri Lanka’s World Cup Secretariat is Suraj Dandeniya, the nephew of Cricket Interim Committee Chairman D. S. de Silva. Dandeniya is a total stranger to cricket administration, but is the highest paid employee at SLC drawing a monthly salary of more than Rs. 550,000 along with numerous other perks. Even the salary allocated for the CEO of the board is below that of the Chairman’s nephew. Another nephew of D. S. de Silva, Kapila Dandeniya is employed at the World Cup Secretariat as a Manager at a salary of over Rs. 225,000.
Courtesy - The Island - Rex Clementine reporting from Suriyawewa
