Sri Lanka's World Cup Victory Carries Lot Of Weight At ICC Meeting (23 Jul 1996)

23 July 1996

Lanka`s World Cup victory carries lot of weight at ICC meeting

By Sa`adi Thawfeeq

Winning the World Cup created a tremendous impact for Sri Lanka at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting at Lord`s.

"It carried a lot of weight when negotiations for tours at all levels were discussed,`` said the Sri Lanka Cricket Board`s chief executive Dammika Ranatunga.

"We had a good response from all other Test-playing nations`` he said.

Among Ranatunga`s main priorities was to negotiate for Test matches and for junior and `A` tours. That he was successful in both spheres was a sign that he had started off in his new post on the right footing.

Apart from arranging a total of 39 Tests in the next four years, he was also successful in negotiating for 10 tours involving the Sri Lanka under 19 and `A` teams during this period.

The Sri Lankan delegation for the ICC meeting comprising president Upali Dharmadasa, secretary Triphone Mirando and Ranatunga, certainly made an impact with other Cricket Board officials, which led to the West Indian representatives confiding to them that it was one man who stood in the way of the West Indies coming to Sri Lanka to play their World Cup match in February this year. West Indies conceded a walk-over to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan delegation was told that when the players expressed their keenness to play in Sri Lanka, it was former West Indies Cricket president Peter Short who discouraged them. Short was soon afterwards replaced by Patrick Roussaue.

While being successful in getting the ICC to form a Cricket Committee to look into allegations of ball tampering, suspect bowling actions etc, the Sri Lankan delegation also received an apology from the ICC, who admitted they handled the ball tampering affair issue `badly`.

The Sri Lanka cricket team were accused of tampering with the ball during the first Test against Australia at Perth last December by ICC match referee Graham Dowling. They were subsequently exonerated from the charge when it was found that the ball they were alleged to have tampered with was not replaced by the umpires.

The following committees were also formed at the ICC meeting - the Executive Committee which will deal on all matters other than on the technical side of the game and, a committee for the development of the game internationally.

The chief executives of each Test playing country (South Africa have appointed its Cricket Board president Kris Mackherdhuj) will form the Executive Committee which will be headed by ICC chairman Sir Clyde Walcott with ICC chief executive David Richards as secretary.

The development committee will comprise Dr. Ali Bacher (chairman), David Richards, Majid Khan, Julian Hunte, Ashraful Haq, Roger Knight and Joe Buzaglo (representing the associate member countries).

With regard to drawing up a code of conduct for Cricket Board officials from airing their views on certain incidents on tour, the ICC were divided on the issue and thus no firm decision was arrived at.

The following are Sri Lanka`s Under 19 and `A` team international fixtures from 1996-97 to 2000:

1996-97 : Oct/Nov - West Indies `A` to Sri Lanka.

1997-98 : Jan/Feb - India under 19 to Sri Lanka, April - PILCOM under 19 tournament in Bangladesh, Oct/Nov - Sri Lanka under 19 to India, Nov/Dec - India `A` to Sri Lanka.

1998-99 : Jan/Feb - Sri Lanka under 19 participate in Under 19 World Cup in South Africa, Jan/Feb - Sri Lanka `A` to Zimbabwe, June - South Africa `A` to Sri Lanka, Nov/Dec - Sri Lanka `A` to India.

1999-2000 : Apr/May - Zimbabwe `A` to Sri Lanka, Oct. - Sri Lanka `A` to South Africa.

With regard to tours with Australia under 19 and `A` sides, Ranatunga said that arrangements will have to be made with Rod Marsh, head of the Australian Cricket Academy, which he will be doing shortly.

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