Cricket administration lacks professionalism
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Sa'adi Thawfeeq, writing in Sri Lanka's Nation, says that the country's cricket administration over the past decade has been riddled with petty politics and a lack of professionalism. That, in turn, has left it a laughing stock in the eyes of the cricket world.
Becoming World Cup champions in 1996 brought about a new dimension to Sri Lanka cricket administration which has failed to change with the times and streamline itself in a professional way. As a result they have been making the same mistakes over and over again and to say the least, been rather amateurish in handling certain issues.
Take for instance the problem that cropped up with regard to the IPL and the tour of England next year where for some weeks there was a tussle between the IPL contracted players and the current administration headed by former captain Arjuna Ranatunga over who should play where as both series clashed with each other.
In the Sunday Times, SR Pathiravithana writes that ironically in Sri Lanka the spirit of the game starts and ends well within its cricket first XV.
They form the nucleus of our international cricket and play the game forgetting whatever their personal differences are with only one goal in mind. It is to ‘bring honour and glory’ to their mother land. However the rest of the bunch that is involved with the cricket machinery should follow the Emu and hide their heads in shame.
Since of late whatever happens in Sri Lankan where cricket is concerned ends up with controversy and some one should “Hey! Your Sunday is longer than your Monday”.
The Sunday Times also has an interesting write-up on Seekkuge Prasanna, a budding legspinner and useful batsman tipped for greater stuff. Prasanna's family lost all they had in the tragic tsunami of 2004, and the youngster has worked hard to support then in whatever way he can. He has worked with the Army coach who also oversaw Ajantha Mendis. Harry Jayachandra caught up with Prasanna.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo