Fitness a criterion for signing of new player contracts

 Sri Lanka cricketers must pass a fitness test to sign contracts

“Fitness tests will be non-negotiable, there will be no exceptions to that”: Prof. De Silva

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

National cricketers will have to first pass a fitness test before they can place their signatures on the new player contracts that are being drawn up by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Management Committee which is headed by Prof. Arjuna de

Prof. Arjuna de Silva

Silva.

The five-member committee comprising of Prof. Arjuna de Silva, Sujeeva Mudalige, Uchitha Wickremasinghe, Ashley de Silva and Amal Edirisuriya have been working along with the Technical Advisory Committee headed by former Sri Lanka Captain Aravinda de Silva in formulating the new-look contracts for the national cricketers.

“With the technical committee, we have insisted on fitness. Fitness will be incorporated into the new contracts,” said Prof. De Silva. 

“Fitness tests will be non-negotiable, there will be no exceptions to that. That criteria have been brought in. I don’t think the players will be able to sign the contract before the Bangladesh tour. They will go on that tour with a tour contract. We have to finalise a few more things but before the England tour, they will sign the contract,” he said.

Sri Lanka are due to leave for a short tour to Bangladesh on 16 May to play a three-match ODI series in Dhaka on 23, 25 and 28 May. The white ball matches in England commences on 23 June.

“After three years, we won a home series; that has of course nothing to do with our presence, we can’t take credit for that but at least it’s a good thing,” said Prof. De Silva. 

“Looking at the team, they look fitter and are playing better.”

The SLC Cricket Management Committee has been functioning for almost a month and within that time has taken a lot of meaningful steps towards streamlining the cricket administration.

“We are streamlining the administration and getting it more transparent. Accounts, purchasing and things like that and the contracts of players – those are the key areas. How the accounting is being done and how the cheques are signed has now been changed. It has been streamlined and brought to normalcy,” said Prof. De Silva.

“On the legal side, our lawyer is going through all the contracts to make sure the exit clause is also tight, so that we won’t have another problem like we had with Chandika Hathurusingha. We have legal and accounting professionals on our board, and we will make sure that they will check all those before we go,” he said.

Prof. De Silva’s committee has been appointed till the SLC elections are held on 20 May.

“Before we go, we will give a detailed report to the Minister of Sports with our recommendations on how to streamline because we can’t do everything in six weeks,” said Prof. De Silva. 

“We have already put in place what we can for now and will give it to the Minister to follow this as a report. He can make sure it is implemented. Whoever the office-bearers elected at the next elections will have to follow that.”

Speaking further Prof. De Silva said: “The other important thing, a long-term thinking is that the captain has to be appointed ahead of time. The captain has to be appointed well ahead of the World Cup so that he can work with the coach to have the team that he wants. It’s the captain who takes the team onto the field, so he has to be given a team which he is comfortable with. The captain should have a permanent place in the team, if he is not sure of his place then you can never build a side. The selectors and Aravinda and his committee are also there giving full support. The selectors have taken some very bold decisions which are very good.”

SL – An alternative destination?

Prof. De Silva said that Sri Lanka could become an alternative destination for other countries to hold their tournaments.

“First, we have to get out of this current problem we are having in Sri Lanka; once we come out of it, we can offer ourselves as an alternative destination for tournaments since we have been successful with this bubble,” said Prof. De Silva. 

“Our bubble has not been breached; we had the LPL, England and Bangladesh tours with no issues. We won’t be able to host a big thing like the IPL, but the Pakistan league and tournaments like that we will be able to host. Even the Asia Cup.”

Prof. De Silva said that the second edition of the LPL will be held this year, most probably in August, in addition to the postponed Legends match that was put off due to the current situation in the country. “Hopefully, we can have that later. The concept, the fans want to see that happen.”

SLC AGM postponed?

The SLC annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on 20 May could be postponed if the audited accounts are not ready.

“So far, it is scheduled for 20 May, but we have to get the audited accounts, that’s the only issue. It has to be submitted by the AG’s department. The AG’s department at the moment is closed due to the COVID-19 issues,” said Prof. De Silva.

“If we don’t get the audited accounts in time, then we can’t hold the AGM, but hopefully hold the election of office bearers and the AGM on another date. We will check with the AG. Any legal opinion or any deviation we always check with the AG first. We are in touch with the AG’s department. Anyway, we will try to do something about it,” he said.

This is the first time Prof. De Silva is handling a sports body like Sri Lanka Cricket although he has been in administration for about 12 years – 10 years in anti-doping and two years in sports medicine.

“I am enjoying it because it is for a short period and it is not interfering with my work. If it is for a long period, it’s not possible,” said the eminent Professor.