Masquerades and cricket killing fields
As a norm, we are vehemently against the politicisation of sports. But, when it comes to parliamentary proceedings and especially the dialogues pertaining to the Budget allocations, it becomes a different issue.
The argument we were engrossed in was intense, but did not involve the members of the so-called Joint Opposition. This time the argument was between two or, you can call it three members, who said ‘aye’ in unison when it came to the Budget vote. Yet, this was the discussion pertaining to sports. It came during the airing of views on the allocations.
It came from the direction of Ports aimed at Sports. Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga was hurling the ball at tremendous speed. I presume it may have been a new ball, because it was swinging at the same time. As it was within the well of parliament, the deliveries came in the form of questions and the speed symbolised its intensity.
Nevertheless, the queries were well directed. The Ports Minister, who has a lot of sports in his cricketing heart, started bowling. First, he asked for a list of people whom Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had employed since the last Annual General Meeting (AGM), along with their emoluments?
Then he went into detail on some of the appointments. He said one Anura Weerasinghe, who handles National Development, has been hired at Rs. 200,000 a month. Then the appointment of Chrishantha de Silva cost the SLC Rs. 150,000 a month, while the Women’s Cricket Consultant Indrani Ariyarathna cost SLC another cool Rs. 200,000 a month.
The former national captain, who led country to its highest cricketing achievement, did not stop at that. He kept on airing his displeasure. He then asked about the assignments given to Youth Cricket Coordinator Priyantha Algama and International Cricket Consultant Shibley Wilkasim, questioning whether a person of the calibre of Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardena would not be more suitable for that position.
Coming back to the original sin, Ranatunga then queried about the employment of Vrai Raymond as Media Manager, when already, there was one such person in employment. He also queried about the position of Godfrey Dabarera who is employed as chief curator.
Ranatunga said these appointments were tantamount to giving employment to the acolytes of the present management for support rendered during the last SLC AGM.
Then, during the debate, Chief Opposition Whip and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake cautioned Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala, who also happens to be the SLC President, not to use his parliamentary post to defend SLC employees too.
It was only last week, our column expressed concern over the bad management ethics of cricket playing nations such as the West Indies and Zimbabwe, as their policies have resulted in the degeneration of cricketing standards of those countries. Sri Lanka, at the moment, is virtu- ally emulating those countries which are in the ICC rankings at the bottom half of the exchanges -- not far from where Sri Lanka is.. What transpired in Parliament is one side of the story. They went to lengths about people who were employed because they supported the Sumathipala cause during the last AGM. Then, what about getting rid of efficient personnel, even when a particular person is an asset to the organisation? The other day, I was talking to a senior SLC insider about the Carlton Bernadus issue – his contract was not renewed on the basis that he was overage. He was 57 years when his employment was terminated. At the same time, Chrishantha de Silva who came into Ranatunge’s focus before, got his contract renewed for two years at age of 69. The visibly upset senior insider said,, “Honestly, I feel that Thilanga has missed a trick in his workbook by getting rid of Carlton. To me, he is the best or, one of the best workers within and outside the walls of SLC, and he is multifaceted. It is not only one job that he performs. He performs and accomplishes different tasks with the minimum of fuss, all that is within his range.
“May be, at one point of time, he stood on the wrong platform, but that does not mean he travelled in the wrong train. The moment things became normal, Carlton, even with different tasks, was an asset and made things happen.
“The crux of the problem is that the entire SLC is highly politicised. Very rarely that one could survive without standing on one's platform – especially, if you are performing specialised tasks. This should not be the case. An employee should be treated on his merits and the positive results he yields.”
The list of sacrifices did not stop with that killing. While Chrishantha de Silva got an extension at the age of 69, a much younger human resources personnel – Lasith Mendis -- was dished out.
Then, may be, tit-for-tat – Media Manager Rajitha Fernando was also asked to stay at home, while the services of Sidath Fernando who was being shifted from pillar to post until he got stuck at the Kettarama Stadium, were also terminated.
Finally, Cricket Team Manager Charith Senanayake was also asked to get down from the team bus but, it may have been for different reasons.
As far as we are concerned, this is a typical case of a banana republic, persons walking around in well pressed suits, looking well measured gentlemen are living just on the other side of the street.
Cricket is just a game but, it has long passed the stage of “gentlemen's game”. It has developed into a multimillion dollar business where winner takes all. For some, it is a status symbol, and for some others it works as a laundry – they feel that they could change their global image by occupying a high seat at this entity.
Yet, they can be horribly wrong. At one point of time the West Indies produced an invincible force that even changed the face of the game of cricket then, but, they got too opinionated and now they are about to lose it all.
In every situation, history has told us stories about the ups and downs of life and the way the cookie crumbles. You can bring in systems for the sake of bringing in systems. Yet, the intention should be for the betterment of the game and its sustenance, and it should not be on the basis of who will be voting for me at the next AGM.