Sri Lanka players caught up in board crisis

The return home of Sri Lanka's cricketers has coincided with deepening confusion as to who controls cricket on the island. With the legal battle about the government's suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) registration continuing, the players have been caught in a power struggle between the sports minister's interim committee and Thilanga Sumathipala's suspended executive committee.

On Monday, the players held discussions with Sumathipala, who outlined his interpretation of his board's legal position and the current division of responsibilities between his executive committee - elected three days after the minister's gazette order - and the interim committee. While a pro-Sumathipala spokesman described it as a "huge slap in the [sports] minister's face", the players simply felt compelled to go ahead with the meeting to find out more about the current situation from their normal employer.

The players have revealed to Cricinfo that they are anxious to be neutral in the dispute and not be used as political pawns in the power struggle. They will also meet with Jeewan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, and interim officials on Thursday morning to be briefed on their version of current developments. They hope that some clarity will be achieved so they can concentrate on their preparations for the West Indies tour in July.

The issue has ended up in the courts after Sumathipala's committee obtained an injunction from the Court of Appeal, preventing the minister from "dissolving or cancelling the registration" without providing SLC officials a proper hearing. However, the sports minister was granted access to all "movable property" and was permitted to make temporary arrangements in respect of the functions that were given to the cricket board by virtue of its registration. The next hearing, which will have submissions from the minister, has been set for June 1.

The interpretation of the what responsibilities were given to SLC because of its registration and what are independent of its registration is now being contested by both parties. The interim committee insists that, apart from occupying the board headquarters or taking control any other "immovable property", they have full and complete control. Sumathipala's committee, meanwhile, told the players that they remain firmly in charge of domestic cricket.

The situation has reached such farcical proportions that no-one is yet sure who is in control of SLC's bank accounts. Both sides claim to have been guaranteed control. The players are unsure about who will ultimately pay their salaries. In addition, they are faced with the ridiculous prospect of negotiating separate player contracts with both parties. Their player contracts expired at the end of February and were not signed prior to the tour to New Zealand because of concerns over several issues, including image rights.

When Cricinfo contacted Jayantha Dharmadasa, the interim committee chairman, about the players' confusion, he was emphatic: "After the suspension by the minister only the interim committee has the authority to run cricket in Sri Lanka. We have given the banks the new signatories for the accounts and we are now operating them. Things will be sorted out very soon."

Sumathipala, meanwhile, told Cricinfo that his committee were in control of the bank accounts and were carrying out some day-to-day business as normal: "The banks did initially cancel a couple of cheques after the suspension, but they have now checked with their legal departments and are honouring our cheques. SLC's suspension means we can't handle certain issues, but we still have certain responsibilities to our member clubs. We are, for example, meeting shortly to plan out the domestic schedule for the coming season."

Sumathipalaa admits that the players may have to sign contracts with the interim committee to play international cricket, but also warned that any contract signed with "any third party" would not be recognised later by SLC. "The players can enter into a contract with the interim committee but they can't sign any long-term agreement. Our policy has always been that we will not honour any contracts signed with third parties. However, we are continuously in touch with the players and will make sure that they are paid each month."

Both, the interim committee and Sumathipala, have also claimed the backing of the International Cricket Council during the past few days. But the ICC told Cricinfo on Tuesday night that the present crisis was a domestic issue. "We are aware of what is happening but it is essentially an internal situation," said Brendan McClements, an ICC spokesman. "We have had similar situations in other countries and while we would obviously prefer that it be resolved shortly, at this stage it does not affect the ICC in any operational sense."

Meanwhile, the employees of SLC have landed in a similarly difficult position. They are naturally worried about their job security and most have so far sided with the board. The interim committee is in the process of setting up its own headquarters and claim that several SLC employees have indicated a willingness to join them soon. But thus far they have recruited only a handful of outsiders to assist with their operations.

The present situation has already delayed the signing-up of a new team sponsor and is likely to hamper the search for a new coach. Concerns over the instability of the local setup will make top-level international coaches reluctant to give up secure jobs. Likewise, potential team sponsors will have concerns about investing substantial time and financial resources for the time being. Fortunately, Sri Lanka's next scheduled international series is not until July 15.