Since it’s Bangladesh that Sri Lanka is hosting in two weeks’ time, cricket fans weren’t too excited, but they won’t be short of any excitement as cricket elections will provide that aspect in full.
The 2013 AGM of Sri Lanka Cricket is scheduled for March 30, and nominations need to be submitted before Feb. 28.
For a decade now, the couple of cricket elections held so far have been low profile, as Presidents have emerged uncontested, while government appointed Interim Committees have managed the affairs of SLC for too long.
But this time, there will be a real battle as arch-rivals, Jayantha Dharmadasa and Thilanga Sumathipala are set to contest. Both are past Presidents of SLC.
Sources said Jayantha, the elder brother of current SLC boss Upali, will contest the elections. He is expected to come up with a strong team that will include Colts CC President K. Mathivanan, Tamil Union President Prakash Schafter and others.
Sources close to Sumathipala said that the Colombo District MP had got the blessings of his political bosses to contest the elections.
It’s believed that Sumathipala wanted to contest last year’s cricket elections too against his bête noire Upali Dharmadasa, but the ambitious man was vetoed by the political hierarchy. Once Sumathipala was the deputy to Upali Dharmadasa at SLC, but later they became bitter rivals.
Sumathipala’s team is likely to include Nuzki Mohammad, Mohan de Silva and others.
Jayantha Dharmadasa comes forward after his brother Upali decided against contesting the elections, which he put down to pressure of work.
Sources said that there will be a lot of political pressure applied to bring in current Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga as the Secretary for a second time, although neither group was said to be willing to accommodate the ambitious man. Ranatunga, sources said, will come in as an independent candidate, like he did last time.
The Ranatungas and Sumathipalas are family rivals, after the eldest of the Ranatunga brothers; Dhammika was sacked as CEO of SLC, when Sumathipala was board Chairman in 2000.
How the duo will work hand in hand in case they are elected is a big question, but experts said that in the lucrative business called cricket administration, family ties matter little
Article courtesy The Island
