Migara
International Coach
England series shortened due to IPL- Nishantha Ranatunga
by Rex Clementine
Those men who claim that the interests of Sri Lankan cricket are best represented at global forums by Nishantha Ranatunga must get their heads examined. The damage the SLC Secretary is doing the board is beyond repair.
It’s a pity that it was Nishantha’s elder brother and World Cup winning Sri Lanka captain Arjuna who staunchly pushed for Sri Lanka’s case for a proper Test series against England. Although his exchanges with England were one-match affairs, by the time he retired in 2000, Lord’s had announced that England’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2001 will consist of a three-Test series and England will be hosting the islanders for a return three-match series the next summer.
The trend continued for four more series until Nishantha Ranatunga and D. S. de Silva were running cricket and the pair neglected their duties and settled for a two-Test series against what is world’s number one ranked team.
Soon after it was announced that England’s series against Sri Lanka will be a two-match affair in June, we contacted the ECB and were told that SLC had in fact not requested for a three-Test series.
"We did not receive a request from SLC to play three Test Matches and as host Board they would draw up the initial schedule for agreement by both countries," a spokesman told us in an e-mail.
At a time when SLC bigwigs are boasting about the millions they have made through the sale of tickets, they seem to have conveniently forgotten the billions they have lost through television revenue and tourism by not playing the additional Test Match and any ODIs.
In Galle last Sunday, we asked Nishantha Ranatunga the reason for the series being a two-match affair. We were informed that it was due to lack of time. When asked why the series had to be stopped on the 7th of April without continuing, Nishantha explained that the board had to end the series early due to the IPL!
Now then, this is the third time that monster called IPL has forced SLC to alter its plans limiting international cricket. All that talk by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that they will ensure that international cricket will take precedence over IPL is just an eyewash and BCCI wants lackeys like Nishantha who will ‘sir’ them and carry out their agendas holding key positions in other boards.
To add insult to injury, Sri Lanka’s next tour to England also has been reduced to two Tests and when asked the reason for this, Nishantha said that it’s due to tours being reciprocal. When you host two Tests, what you get seems two Tests as well.
What hurts is, people like Nishantha Ranatunga are not aware of the sacrifices and difficulties Sri Lanka had to go through to secure regular cricket tours from leading cricket playing nations.
West Indies for example didn’t host Sri Lanka for a Test Match until the island had won the World Cup! Thanks to men like Neil Perera, the marginalization of Sri Lanka was negated to a large extent in the 1980s and 1990s.
The men who are filling the boots of those illustrious men like Perera seem to be least bothered about the interests of Sri Lankan cricket. Their personal interests seem to be taking precedence above all else. If that’s not so, how can the CEO of a Sports Channel continue to remain as the Secretary of the board and continue to function in the capacity of CEO of SLC as well?
The government should probe why England’s Test series in Sri Lanka was reduced to two. But we doubt anything significant happening. If the government actually cared, they should have listened to former Sports Minister C. B. Ratnayake, who called the Nishantha Ranatunga and D. S. de Silva run cricket Interim Committee the third most corrupt institution in the country. The Minister was promptly removed and the crooks he named went much afterwards having pushed SLC into bankruptcy and some of them returned in style with full political backing in an election that was very well staged.
Reputation at stake –
SLC’s reputation is also at stake. But who cares? Those who matter seem to think that they would be able to get their way with smart maneuvering. Ahead of the Galle Test to stop protests from British fans and criticism from the British press, SLC said that all those who enter the ground, local or foreign had to pay Rs. 5000 as entrance fee. But by the second day there was a section opened for the locals free of charge. SLC’s reputation took a beating as an organisation that’s prepared to lie to meet its ends.
Wonderful cricket and affordable prices have been two reasons why British supporters turned up in their numbers for England tours here in 2001, 2003 and 2007. In 2001, the Tourism Ministry statistics stated that over 10,000 British fans witnessed the Galle Test!
But after being cheated by SLC, having had to pay Rs. 5000 for a day’s play of the Test Match, will the tourists make the trip to Sri Lanka the next time as well? Surely, there are cheaper opportunities available.
Another interesting aspect that we need to look at in that issue of reduction of the number of Test Matches from three to two is the role of players! Those who talk of Test cricket being the supreme form of the game, should be leading by example and at least make a voice.
After all, more than half of Sri Lanka’s current Test squad members do not have IPL contracts and thereby a majority of players aren’t gaining from that Indian tamasha. But what’s good for Sri Lankan cricket and what’s not, isn’t decided at Maitland Place any longer. Our cricket’s major decisions are taken from Perera Gardens at Battaramulla!
Source
by Rex Clementine
Those men who claim that the interests of Sri Lankan cricket are best represented at global forums by Nishantha Ranatunga must get their heads examined. The damage the SLC Secretary is doing the board is beyond repair.
It’s a pity that it was Nishantha’s elder brother and World Cup winning Sri Lanka captain Arjuna who staunchly pushed for Sri Lanka’s case for a proper Test series against England. Although his exchanges with England were one-match affairs, by the time he retired in 2000, Lord’s had announced that England’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2001 will consist of a three-Test series and England will be hosting the islanders for a return three-match series the next summer.
The trend continued for four more series until Nishantha Ranatunga and D. S. de Silva were running cricket and the pair neglected their duties and settled for a two-Test series against what is world’s number one ranked team.
Soon after it was announced that England’s series against Sri Lanka will be a two-match affair in June, we contacted the ECB and were told that SLC had in fact not requested for a three-Test series.
"We did not receive a request from SLC to play three Test Matches and as host Board they would draw up the initial schedule for agreement by both countries," a spokesman told us in an e-mail.
At a time when SLC bigwigs are boasting about the millions they have made through the sale of tickets, they seem to have conveniently forgotten the billions they have lost through television revenue and tourism by not playing the additional Test Match and any ODIs.
In Galle last Sunday, we asked Nishantha Ranatunga the reason for the series being a two-match affair. We were informed that it was due to lack of time. When asked why the series had to be stopped on the 7th of April without continuing, Nishantha explained that the board had to end the series early due to the IPL!
Now then, this is the third time that monster called IPL has forced SLC to alter its plans limiting international cricket. All that talk by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that they will ensure that international cricket will take precedence over IPL is just an eyewash and BCCI wants lackeys like Nishantha who will ‘sir’ them and carry out their agendas holding key positions in other boards.
To add insult to injury, Sri Lanka’s next tour to England also has been reduced to two Tests and when asked the reason for this, Nishantha said that it’s due to tours being reciprocal. When you host two Tests, what you get seems two Tests as well.
What hurts is, people like Nishantha Ranatunga are not aware of the sacrifices and difficulties Sri Lanka had to go through to secure regular cricket tours from leading cricket playing nations.
West Indies for example didn’t host Sri Lanka for a Test Match until the island had won the World Cup! Thanks to men like Neil Perera, the marginalization of Sri Lanka was negated to a large extent in the 1980s and 1990s.
The men who are filling the boots of those illustrious men like Perera seem to be least bothered about the interests of Sri Lankan cricket. Their personal interests seem to be taking precedence above all else. If that’s not so, how can the CEO of a Sports Channel continue to remain as the Secretary of the board and continue to function in the capacity of CEO of SLC as well?
The government should probe why England’s Test series in Sri Lanka was reduced to two. But we doubt anything significant happening. If the government actually cared, they should have listened to former Sports Minister C. B. Ratnayake, who called the Nishantha Ranatunga and D. S. de Silva run cricket Interim Committee the third most corrupt institution in the country. The Minister was promptly removed and the crooks he named went much afterwards having pushed SLC into bankruptcy and some of them returned in style with full political backing in an election that was very well staged.
Reputation at stake –
SLC’s reputation is also at stake. But who cares? Those who matter seem to think that they would be able to get their way with smart maneuvering. Ahead of the Galle Test to stop protests from British fans and criticism from the British press, SLC said that all those who enter the ground, local or foreign had to pay Rs. 5000 as entrance fee. But by the second day there was a section opened for the locals free of charge. SLC’s reputation took a beating as an organisation that’s prepared to lie to meet its ends.
Wonderful cricket and affordable prices have been two reasons why British supporters turned up in their numbers for England tours here in 2001, 2003 and 2007. In 2001, the Tourism Ministry statistics stated that over 10,000 British fans witnessed the Galle Test!
But after being cheated by SLC, having had to pay Rs. 5000 for a day’s play of the Test Match, will the tourists make the trip to Sri Lanka the next time as well? Surely, there are cheaper opportunities available.
Another interesting aspect that we need to look at in that issue of reduction of the number of Test Matches from three to two is the role of players! Those who talk of Test cricket being the supreme form of the game, should be leading by example and at least make a voice.
After all, more than half of Sri Lanka’s current Test squad members do not have IPL contracts and thereby a majority of players aren’t gaining from that Indian tamasha. But what’s good for Sri Lankan cricket and what’s not, isn’t decided at Maitland Place any longer. Our cricket’s major decisions are taken from Perera Gardens at Battaramulla!
Source
