Sidath Wettimuny the former Sri Lanka cricketer has called for real and meaningful change with the way cricket in Sri Lanka is being managed. Mr. Wettimuny appearing on live TV on Friday morning, said that it was frustrating for past cricketers like himself and bemoaned the fact that ‘Brand Sri Lanka’ has been unable to be properly benefitted via the best known brand for Sri Lanka: its national cricket team.
Massive politicization, corruption and keeping out the good people were the result of a poor constitution. Mr. Wettimuny insisted that “until we make that change we will go from one mess to another” he added that the ICC will soon become frustrated with SLC and that would mean even more trouble.
The retired star cricketer – who made a century in 175 balls in his first appearance at Lords – said that it was only Sri Lanka Cricket who had “this crazy vote base”. He cited that Sri Lanka Cricket is controlled by 146 or 147 votes from the different clubs. However he said that whilst Sri Lanka has 146 votes for a population of 21 million India with 1.2 Billion people had just 46 votes and even that the Indian Supreme Court had asked them to try and make it down to 30. England had just 18 votes, South Africa 8, Australia 7 and even in Pakistan with its own share of troubles had just 10. Mr. Wettimuny who is a legendary gentleman fondly known as “Lord Sid” insisted that it was only Sri Lanka that had this crazy vote base.
Mr. Wettimuny went on to say that in Sri Lanka there were what could be called “paper clubs”. They hardly played cricket, had no facilities as such but had two votes each – by contrast clubs like NCC, SSC and Tamil Union who were real, playing clubs also had 2 votes each. At election time these paper club votes are up for sale. It was, it is a crazy situation.
It was clear that this was one of the matters at the heart of management problems at Sri Lanka Cricket Management. Various people were in the management who were buying votes and engaged in corruption and with the outdated Constitution were able to keep the good and the willing out of the management structure.
Meanwhile former Test cricket Captain and who famously led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup final Arjuna Ranatunga told the media last evening that the Minister of Sport is a Presidents Counsel and he should know the Sports Law – even if he had quoted Article 44 to brief the Cabinet but the Sport Law Act finished at Article 42. Mr. Ranatunga wondered of the Minister had taken directions from bookies when quoting Article 44 which was apparently not in the Sport Law Act!
