SL: Los Angeles Committee Makes Loss Over Sri Lanka Games (4 Jun 1996)

4 June 1996

Los Angeles Organizing Committee Makes Loss

Sports comment

By Elmo Rodrigopulle

Believe it or not the Los Angeles Organising Committee (LAOC) which conducted the two match tour of Los Angeles by the Sri Lanka cricket team in April suffered a loss of US $ 16,000 on the venture.

This was contrary to the wild and vilifying reports appearing in some of the newspapers here saying that the organisers were going to make bags of money on a very profitable project.

Allegations were made that there was going to be a 100,000 crowd at each match and the money that was going to be raked in as entrance would be colossal.

The critics exaggerated the price of dance tickets, dinner tickets, souvenirs raffle etc saying that it was too costly and that the organisers would be very rich men after the matches were over.

All these allegations were made by a frustrated few in LA and were published as lead stories here without any kind of verification.

It was the `DAILY NEWS` that exclusively broke the news of the Sri Lanka team`s tour to Los Angeles.

This tour was arranged by the LAOC long before the Sri Lankans emerged World Cup cricket champions.

But what came as a bolt from the blues was the eve of the match report that said that the cricketers were not paid etc and that they were threatening to revolt. This information was, according to the newspaper that reported it sourced to two officials of the BCCSL.

However on their return home manager Duleep Mendis and captain Arjuna Ranatunga sent these critics scurrying by saying that they were well looked after and that nothing was lacking.

The organisers who were shocked to read such adverse reports will however have the final say.

The Sri Lankan tour of Los Angeles also had its side of humour.

When the tour was being negotiated and letters were being written there was one who wrote that the Sri Lanka team would be touring elle... the cricket board is still reverberating with laughter.

Alistair Brown, England`s answer as a pinch hitter to our own Sanath Jayasuriya has been confined beyond the boundary by the England selectors by being dropped from the squad for the First Test against India after a blazing century in the final one-dayer which took England to a victory that looked difficult at one time and a 2-nil one-day series win.

Brown who had smashed many an opposing attack for Surrey in the county games, did not look threatening in the first two onedayers. But showed his ability in the final game, which had his supporters confident that he would be slotted in for the test.

England have always known to adopt safety first methods and this being the first of three tests would not have wanted to take chances. They have preferred the sedate Nick Knight to open with skipper Atherton. The selectors would watch how Knight goes and probably put up Brown later on.

Brown must certainly be disappointed. But then that is how the game goes. He has time and when given the opportunity must see to it that he grabs it with both hands proving to the selectors that they were wrong in leaving him out for the first test.

Also a shock omission in the England team is the hardworking allrounder Darren Gough. Gough had done enough to be a permanent member of the team. May be he will be in the team before long.

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