Aravinda de Silva responds to The Daily News (10 March 1999)

10 March 1999

Aravinda de Silva responds to The Daily News

The Daily News

It was with considerable surprise and utter dismay that I read the contents of the aforesaid article which appeared in the 'Ceylon Daily News' paper which is published by your company.

The article in question purports to contend that I had submitted my nomination in order to contest the post of Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the said Board, scheduled to be held on 28.3.1999.

I wish to place on record most categorically that I have, at no point of time or in any manner whatsoever, sought or submitted or secured the submission of a nomination, for the purpose of seeking office in the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, I have not granted permission or authority, either expressly or impliedly, to any person, to submit a nomination on my behalf.

Being utterly amazed by the statement made in the said article, I contacted the Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Control in order to verify the correct position in as much as I reasonably apprehended the possibility of some mischief maker having contrived to submit a nomination purportedly on my behalf.

Upon verification, the said Chief Executive Officer categorically informed me that no such nomination had been received by the Board, which thereby made it evident that the report which appeared in the 'Daily News' paper is totally inaccurate and without any foundation or basis whatsoever.

I must hasten to place on record that I am at a total loss to comprehend as to how such an unfounded claim came to be published in your newspaper in as much as no nomination had been submitted by or on my behalf.

In the above circumstances, the source, if at all, from which such purported information had been received by your reporter and/or your newspaper, becomes most pertinent.

Assuming that your newspaper had indeed received some inaccurate information, I have reason to believe that such information had been disseminated by some person/s with vested interests, as an integral part of a campaign to vilify me and undermine my reputation by depicting me as a person with aspirations which transcend beyond playing for the national team.

I would like to state most emphatically at this juncture that I do not have any design on seeking office in the cricket administration. I am more than content with and am thankful for the honour of playing for my country and after my retirement, my only objective is to render whatever assistance I can, in my personal capacity, towards the general upliftment of the game which has given me so much. I re-iterate that I have no aspirations nor any interest whatsoever in holding office in the Board of Control for Cricket and I firmly believe that cricket adminstration must be left to those who are qualified to discharge the duties entailed thereby.

In any event, I must add that even if I did in fact wish to seek office in the Board, I would be effectively precluded from doing so in view of the fact that I am under contract with the Board.

Apart from the acute embarrassment and considerable pain of mind and concern which your article has caused me, I am also aware that the same had engendered much criticism of me amongst various segments of the public, certain members within the administration and certain clubs in the outstations, who had naturally chosen to believe the categorical statement made in the said article. As a result, my reputation and credibility as a player who is exclusively dedicated to playing the game of cricket, has been undermined.

Furthermore, I have little doubt that the international media would also have had access to the said article.

In the totality of the circumstances, I trust you will appreciate the prejudice which has been caused to me as a direct result of the said article and I do hereby kindly request you to institute suitable measures to remove the deleterious consequences thereof, with due expedition, by publishing this letter, prominently, in the sports page of the 'Ceylon Daily News" or preferably, the 'Sunday Observer'.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)