For the past three years or so Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) has been under various controversies. An interim committee was appointed to look after the day to day matters of Sri Lankan Cricket. Interim committee was appointed after the last elected president of Sri Lankan Cricket Board; Tilaga Sumathipala was dismissed by the then sports minister in 2005.

It is coincidence that the rival of Sumathipala in the board elections in 2004, Arjuna Ranatunga is elected as the chairman of SLC now. He is a member of parliament too. The elections were expected to face so many hindrances due to pending cases on misappropriation of funds by former presidents of Sri Lankan Cricket Board , in the court. But to end the ambiguity, now Arjuna Ranatunga is appointed as the chairman of Sri Lankan Cricket.

Arjuna Ranatunga was expected to take over the control of cricket in Sri Lanka much earlier considering his influence in cricket as well as politics. He contested in the elections also to occupy the chair in 2004. Further when he was appointed as the chairman of SLC, he made his stands clear; cricketers should govern cricket in Sri Lanka. He is very critical about the politicians and businessmen who governed the board for a long term. He criticizes them for misappropriation of funds. He wants to bring in strong reform measures to erase out corruption in the board and believes in popularizing and developing cricket at grass root level. His main concentration is on developing cricket from school levels onwards. At the same time he wants to carefully utilize the funds and infrastructure to the maximum.

As the captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team, in the mid-90s he brought in so many changes in the structure and configuration of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. All his efforts were rewarded, when he could lift the Cricket World Cup in 1996 defeating Australia. Ranatunga is sure to make some positive changes in the whole set up of cricket in Sri Lanka but the question is, up to what extent he will be able to deliver? The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has been the bone of contention between politicians since it started showing good turnovers recently.

Every one wants to get an edge over its control. Cricket360 strongly believes that Ranatunga won’t be able to escape from this sort of political pressures being exerted on the board chairman’s actions. The recent development in Sri Lankan cricket shows him bending towards favoritism, which has been the evil behind the SLC for almost a decade.Cricket360 smelt rat in the appointment of Nishantha Ranatunga, the brother of Arjuna Ranatunga as manager of Sri Lankan cricket team for the forthcoming Toronto cricket series. Even though he emphasizes that he is against politicians seeking to control the SLC, he himself seems like a polished politician in the politics influenced Sri Lankan cricket and that will always make his actions dubious.

The whole package of changes he may bring in coaching and development of cricket in Sri Lanka will not last long unless he could change the structure of Sri Lankan cricket board.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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