Arjuna Ranatunga took over the helm of Sri Lanka Cricket in January of this year. He claimed he would stamp out corruption, audit SLC expenditure and "Be The Man". Twelve months into the post he has successfully managed to turn the players against him, drag Sri Lanka Cricket into a legal battle with Ten Sports and by hastily planning a tour - with little or no research - he managed to make an absolute mockery of the Sri Lankan cricket establishment in England. That’s just the tip of the iceberg folks when you consider the fact that Arjuna has also managed to destroy the good relations which existed between the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket boards.
Most of us have not fully grasped what the SLC has really lost. It is much more than the loss of a few cricket matches, soured relationships or half full pockets of the IPL contracted players. Arjuna has repeatedly pointed out what Sri Lanka Cricket has lost from the postponement of the tour to England ($2M). He fails to mention the losses incurred by the board due to the scheduling of a tour that would collide with the IPL. He has also failed to mention the price SLC is paying for his irresponsible comments directed towards the Indian backed IPL tournament. By not being supportive of the IPL, Sri Lanka Cricket over all, including the players, will loose out on revenue from the Champions League ($4M), Indian tour of Sri Lanka 2009 ($15M) and the proposed Indian tour in 2010, another whopping figure of fifteen million dollars.
Even in hindsight - knowing that going to England would bankrupt a board running on a huge over draft – would not have changed Arjuna’s stance. There lays the problem.
When the England – IPL tour conflict first arose India proposed a deal which was to secure Sri Lankan participation in the IPL for a lucrative price. Arjuna’s negative comments towards the IPL even after such a gracious endeavour by the Indian board pushed the Indians to put a hold on the deal. For a man running a cricket board on negative Rs. 375 Million Ranatunga cannot afford such confrontations and then claim his stance is for the benefit of Sri Lanka Cricket. Not when the facts are this obvious. No expense should be spared to researching a decision. The lack of any proper planning and complete hot headed vindictiveness has left Sri Lanka Cricket in dire straights. Such actions should not be over looked or ignored.
My stance has always been one of calling it as I see it; I don’t belong to either the pro Ranatunga party nor the anti Ranatunga brigade. I am merely calling it as I see it.
by Hilal
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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BCCI says no peace match
Definitely there is not going to be a peace cricket encounter between India and Sri Lanka in the near future. According to a BCCI cricket heavyweight, the proposed peace match between India and Sri Lanka in aid of the Mumbai massacre victims may be some one’s figment of imagination.
An SLC cricket insider who has close links with the BCCI told The Sunday Times that he would not buy the claim made by SLC Interim Committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga that he had a one-on-one with former BCCI president Sharad Pawar on this subject.
The insider said “When I contacted the BCCI on the subject, they were quite unaware of such a development and they reiterated that the present state of relations between the BCCI and the SLC were not the healthiest and a goodwill tour of that nature would not materialise.”
Interaction between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Sri Lanka Cricket hit an all time low as result of certain actions adopted by SLC chief Ranatunga regarding the IPL.
It is pointed that SLC’s pardon for the Lankan Cricketers who took part in the ICL, which is not recognized by the BCCI and the subsequent placement of those cricketers in the after-match podium during the India-Sri Lanka series had not gone down well with the Indian cricket authorities.
Earlier there were reports of Ranatunga having a chat with the former BCCI president Sharad Pawar and offering to send a full fledged Lankan team to India for a peace match to raise funds for the Mumbai terror victims.
During the 1996 World Cup India and Pakistan sent a joint cricket team to Sri Lanka to show their solidarity when Australia and the West Indies refused to tour the island sighting the violence in Sri Lanka.
Arjuna Ranatunga was the captain of the Sri Lanka and the international team was led by former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin. The match was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Well said Hilal. When it comes to administration Arjuna is a 'wedaberi tarzan'. He is well famous for his revenges too. Just because he is not happy with Charlie Austin he gave the web site contract to some other company. Who suffered at the end. cricinfo.? No. Players and sl fans. He is a real 'pandithaya'. During Dharmadhasa tenure he re-constructed Galle stadium. He gave money to several club to uplift facilities. He started Pallakele project. Those days domestic player of the tournment received a car. Can Arjuna even think about those things.? He only knows read some figures and blame. Now one day competition is played using red leather balls and players are back to white cloths. SLC cricket is going back ward with Arjuna. Even though he put up a innocent face he is cunning too. Now He invites very powerful figures when it comes to function in SLC. He is cunning enough to utter word 'mahinda chinthana' when he speaks as well. Till this government in power he will be chairman. Lokuge will pull to one side. Ranatunga will pull to other side. SLC will suffer.
It is time for Arjuna to quit. That does not mean that India is right, only that India has might.
Very very bad lankan cricket. Not coming new good players...look another teams..specially india. Many new players coming. Virat kohli.ajinkya rahane. Aswin.ravidra jadeja. Pakistan umar akmal. Cheema..farhath..hafeez etc..look lankans depended chamara kapugadara.chamara silva..shame shame.idiot selectors
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