Sri Lanka Cricket board in virtual ruins with everything fixed-BY CALLISTUS DAVY

Source:Sundayobserver

Match fixing, club fixing, fitness fixing, coach fixing, media fixing, tour fixing and buck fixing have led to a complete breakdown of a so-called elected membership running Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) resulting in player values and discipline shamefully exposed while the powers that be turn a blind eye and followers of the sport have called for an immediate sacking of the administration.

Presently the administration at Sri Lanka Cricket has gone into a virtual reclusive state with a puppet media section where can be found some blind mice.

CEO Ashley de Silva has become the biggest surviving ‘Yes Man’ for nearly two decades. Vice president Ravin Wickremaratne is yet to answer for his role in fixing the result of a club match and joining them all is the shrewd businessman and vice president Jayantha Dharmadasa who now sits with the very people he twice accused of corruption after crossing sides with so much to gain in an organisation flowing with massive off-field opportunities.

Former administrators who headed specialist fields and were kicked out from decision-making for refusing to play ball are currently busy forming a Force that could be second only to a political party alliance as they contend that the country’s national pride and passion has hit the road to ruin.

They have already compiled a dossier, which was shown to the Sunday Observer, and is in the process of being passed on to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Planning for the future, the absence of team building, youth cricket, coaching importance and above all, a professional structure for accountability have all been kicked out through the back door and all this taking place under the very noses of the people entrusted with the welfare of public interests.

If ever there was a need for an interim committee to arrest the situation, this is it. Now or never,” said a coach who pleaded that his name not be exposed for fear of repercussions.

Having found a way to infringe on Press freedom, Shammi Silva’s shady campaign to pass the buck on the England Cricket Board (ECB) for blocking independent coverage of the on-going Test series has completely backfired after a spokesman for the ECB conveyed to the local media in a text message that they had imposed no media conditions to tour.

“Not true, we had nothing to do with it. Sri Lanka Cricket made the decision (to block Press coverage)”, he said.