PLAYERS CAUGHT ON THE BLIND SIDE
Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) has made a sudden decision to change the date of eligibility of the senior inter school cricket age limit to September 1, 1997 where earlier it was those who were born on or after 1st January 1997 who could play for their alma-mater in the 2016/2017 season. This will affect many schools around the country with a number of players caught in between their cricketing career and education and caught on the blind side with a move done without much consideration of the children’s future. Those who are born during the first eight (08) months of 1997 will not be able to represent their school in the coming 2016/2017 cricket season and will need to exit from school cricket immediately.
Speaking to the “Daily Mirror” head coach of the Trinity College Cricket team, Kavinda Jayasuriya said “We have already started practices since May this year and this rule change will not only affect our players but many around the country. We have already decided on the skipper and the deputy skipper but all of a sudden if they are not eligible to play then we need to change our plan which will affect the team as a whole. This will mentally affect the players as well as their performances this season. Advanced level students have already sacrificed their time to this sport and they will be caught in between in their sporting and academic career. Since this is an important period in their life and their future will heavily depend on these decisions. Kavinda continued stating that “School has already made preparations thinking all these players will be available for the 2016/2017 season, invested funds heavily on them and made several arrangements which could cripple the school’s cricket in no time. Each school will be playing around 24 matches and also the knock out tournaments which could go to more than 35 matches for a team which could hinder their studies as well”.
Former Trinity opening batsman, Kithmal Wimalaweera speaking to the “Daily Mirror” This will affect many schools around the country with a number of players caught in between their cricketing career and education and caught on the blind side with a move done without much consideration of the children’s’ future said “Club cricket starts only at the age level of under 23 and keeping school cricket at the Under 20 level will help the schoolboys’ to mature themselves and groomed from school cricket to club cricket and the transformation will be much smoother. But taking school cricket back to Under 19 level makes the gap a four year period which is a too longer wait for the youngsters which will end with a majority giving up cricket. Kithmal further stressed that keeping inter school cricket at Under 20 allows a student to concentrate both studies as well as in sports on equal terms which helps their careers and also the school as a whole.