Last week’s Executive Committee meeting of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had been a tense one with a prominent member of the Ex Co accusing SLC President Jayantha Dharmadasa and Nishantha Ranatunga of promoting the interests of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after proposals to change the structure of the ICC was tabled at an ICC meeting on the 9th January.
A draft submitted at an ICC meeting earlier this month had proposed overwhelming power to BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and while the paper has become a hot debate point with most nations clearly expressing their displeasure over the proposed changes.
SLC, however, has not condemned the paper that will have serious ramifications on the sport in the country.
SLC Ex-Co member Shammi Silva has found fault with the board’s hierarchy during the January 23rd meeting held at SLC headquarters for not circulating the ICC draft paper among the Ex-Co members.
Another Ex-Co member expressed his displeasure about the board’s hierarchy keeping the draft paper a secret until it was exposed during a television show by former cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
“The Ex-Co that had several emergency meetings in order to dismiss a fellow Ex-Co member over his conduct kept silent for two weeks over a matter that is of utmost importance and there’s something fishy,” he said.
While several individuals and boards have expressed their displeasure over the proposed draft, SLC’s reaction has been rather lukewarm. Last week issuing a media release SLC said, “The Committee agreed to write to the President of the International Cricket Council and inform them the unanimous view of the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket is that the said Position Paper needs to be deferred and re-considered in toto on a future date.”
In a letter addressed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and copied to Minister of Sports, SLC Ex-Co and membership, Shammi Silva has alleged that the SLC hierarchy was acting in an irresponsible manner.
Silva’s letter would have gone unnoticed if not for a media release from SLC issued on Saturday that made mention of his letter.
Silva finds faults with SLC bosses for not alerting the Ex-Co of the proposed ICC draft and feels that the hierarchy of the board could end up supporting the draft that is hugely in favour of India. SLC officials have backed most moves initiated by India in recent years.
Meanwhile, a prominent official of SLC offering a week long all expenses paid trip to SLC Ex-Co members and their families to UAE during Sri Lanka’s tour of UAE has also raised many eyebrows in cricket circles.
