Herath quits after Sri Lanka merger

Gwen Herath, the flag bearer of women's cricket in Sri Lanka for nearly a decade, is no longer running the show but has silently quit following the merger of the Women's Cricket Association of Sri Lanka (WCASL) with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The merger - an ICC requirement in which all women's associations will merge with their country's board - means that Herath will have no big role to play. She is reduced to being the head of a five-member women's cricket committee of the SLC.

"I decided to step down gracefully two weeks ago," she said. "I will make arrangements to dissolve the women's association for the full merger to take effect."

Herath admitted that she does not like working with interim bodies. "In other countries the women's cricket associations have merged with elected bodies. With interim bodies you can't fight injustice.

"With an elected body you can take up matters which are irregular. But with interim bodies whom can you complain to? You have to complain to the Sports Minister who is responsible for appointing the interim body."

However she said she welcomed the merger because it means that, in the long run, female players stand to benefit greatly coming under SLC. She revealed that the women's association were able to give the girls only US$ 100 for an entire tournament or tour in the past but, by merging with SLC, each member of the Asia Cup side will receive US$ 25 per day as pocket money and the officials US$ 40 per day. Even sponsorships will be the responsibility of SLC.

During Herath's tenure as president of WCASL she was able to raise Rs.2million (US$ 18,400) a year for five years through sponsorship from Singer, the sponsors of the national men's cricket team when they won the World Cup in 1996.

Herath was the life-blood of women's cricket having inaugurated the women's association in 1996 and seeing the country participate in three World Cup tournaments in 1997, 2000 and 2005.

"Right throughout my presidency we were ranked sixth in the world out of 13 countries," she said.

One of Sri Lanka's versatile cricket administrators, Herath was responsible for making Sri Lanka a member of the International Women's Cricket Council in 1997 and for bringing Sri Lanka under the aegis of the ICC in 2005. She was also the first woman to hold the post of president of the male-dominated Puttalam District Cricket Association for 15 years.