Sri Lanka Cricket no balled?

Saturday, 25 June 2011 00:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SRI LANKA Cricket (SLC) seems to be falling from the frying pan into the fire. News reports have indicated that the Interim Committee is on the verge of being dissolved and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to allow their players to participate in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL), which could have stemmed some of the financial losses that are crippling the SLC.

This double whammy is a telling twist to the rather tragic tale that all Sri Lankans have been watching unfold since the loss of the World Cup at the beginning of April. It is difficult to fathom how much change has happened in the two months since the final was lost. The lost chance to bring home the World Cup was bad enough, but the subsequent events have cracked the very foundations of the game in Sri Lanka.

With the withdrawal of BCCI approval for Indian players to participate in the SLPL, the entire tournament has received a death blow. One can argue that there were dangerous rumblings right from the start when an unknown firm tied up with the SLPL, but despite numerous articles in the media, it has stayed with the SLPL. Since there is now no opportunity to gain mileage from around a dozen Indian players who were scheduled to participate in the SLPL, the Sports Minister has admitted that the next option would be to give broadcasting rights to a local TV station. Such a move would result in the loss of international viewership and also means that less money would be going into the empty SLC coffers.

Many have called for the cancelling of the SLPL, pointing out that the losses would only compound SLC’s already strained financial situation. It would be more practical to sort out the financial mess caused by the World Cup instead of embarking on another ill-thought out tournament. SLC says it has spent Rs. 7.1 billion to build three stadiums for the Cricket World Cup and is yet to settle Rs. 3.24 billion owed to its suppliers and service providers. Last week, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage forwarded a Cabinet paper requesting a Rs. 2 billion grant from the Treasury, but this has been postponed. Out of the Rs. 7.1 billion, Rs. 6.46 billion is to be paid to State-run corporations and the SLC has settled only Rs. 3.22 billion.

In such a scenario and with the SLC Interim Committee on the verge of being dissolved, there will be little leadership provided for the SLPL. There is certainly potential for Sri Lanka to develop its own premier league, but the timing could hardly be worse. If the SLPL is a flop and the losses grow, then there would be an even more serious problem at hand to deal with.

If indeed the SLC is determined to continue with the SLPL, as seems to be the case, then the entire process needs to become more transparent and accountable. Corruption and wastage needs to be stamped out. Better policies need to be followed and the SLPL needs to tie up with reputable partners who have proven themselves by handling similar tournaments of this nature. Above all else, the new office holders need to understand that they must answer to the fans for undermining the most unifying force of Sri Lanka – cricket.