Sri Lankan sports minister intervenes in selection debacle

Sports minister Johnston Fernando forced Sri Lanka's selectors into a U-turn late on Thursday night as members of the team seriously contemplated standing down from the second Janashakthi National Test in protest of the decision to rest Marvan Atapattu and fast bowler Charitha Fernando.

The controversial decision to rest first-choice players in favour of youngsters seeking experience was made against the wishes of the team management, who first appealed to the five-man selection panel - all based in Colombo - to change their minds.

While accepting that young players needed to be given experience before a tough year of competition, the management argued that the timing was wrong, with the series still not won. Captain Sanath Jayasuriya said, "Personally, I want to win. Zimbabwe are still a threat, especially in Kandy."

They also complained that the manner in which the decision was made, in Colombo without serious consultation of the captain and the coach, was entirely inappropriate.

But the selectors, headed by chairman Tikiri Banda Khelgamuwa, refused to back down at first, maintaining that their decision was "in the best interests of Sri Lankan cricket."

The standoff continued late into the night as the team held two team meetings rather than the normal one, and at least five players voiced a willingness to stand down rather than accept the decision of the selectors.

Finally, just after 11 pm, following a flurry of telephone calls between the various sides involved, the sports minister decided that the team management's request must be accommodated.

A media release issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) before the start of play on Friday, said simply: "On a request made the team management to the Chairman of the National Selection Committee and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport, it was decided to retain the same team that won the first Test."

But according to board sources the selection committee did not back down but were overruled by the minister, whose responsibility it is to appoint the selectors.

With the credibility of the present selection committee - which was appointed by the previous government - having been so severely undermined by the standoff, the minister now has to decide whether the time has come for a fresh committee.

Indeed, the minister also needs to decide whether to support an amendment to the Sports Law proposed by the previous government and waiting to be heard in Parliament that recommends that responsibility for team selection is transferred to the cricket board.