A mistimed school cricket reversal

The Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) has reneged on a previous decision – a change of rule that would have effectively made the premier schools’ tournament Under 20 instead of Under 19 – and informed schools that it would conduct the tournament as it has in previous years.

The SLSCA had earlier made a decision to change the date of eligibility for the Under 19 tournament for the upcoming season from ‘September 1 1997’ to ‘January 1 1997’, and had reaffirmed the same in a letter issued in March.

However, with the tournament just over a month away, the SLSCA in a letter last week said that further to a circular sent by the Education Ministry on July 13 the tournament would revert back to the old rule – moving the date of eligibility back to September.

Interestingly, the committee making these decisions at the SLSCA had changed in the period between when these two letters were issued, but it has seriously affected schools that have been preparing for the upcoming season, who have been doing so under the new rule.

Regardless of if the decision was made on the coercion of the Education Ministry or as a result of the change at the SLSCA, it should not have been made at such a late hour as it now depletes the number of players available to schools and disrupts the preparation of teams. If either the Ministry or the SLSCA thought it imperative to make this 11th hour change, it would have been more sensible to have done so for the following season, 2017/18, without hindering the schools and students.

If at all, the worst affected by this sudden change of rule are the school boys who have sacrificed their higher education and future aspirations to play cricket for their school.

In March, the SLSCA issued a letter to all schools and principals reminding them that the tournament was to be carried out under the new rule that would include players born on or after January 1 1997.

However in a letter issued on July 17, the SLSCA said that it would go back to the old rule – to include students born only after September – citing the Education Ministry circular No. ED/9/15/2/2/2 (Cricket).

The Daily Mirror also learns that there is a strong likelihood that the number of league tournament matches is to increase to as many as 24 for the next season, which would mean a school could play as many as 40 matches, when knockout and annual matches are taken into account. Such a move would mean that schools boys would frequent the cricket field more than attending the classroom.