SLC defends recruitment of Provincial, District Coordinators

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has hired six Provincial Coordinators to overlook the development of cricket at provincial level, remunerating them with six-figure salaries, the Daily Mirror learns.

An all-inclusive salary of Rs. 125,000 was approved for these six individuals, while the SLC Ex-co also approved the hiring of six District Coordinators, with all inclusive salaries of Rs. 60,000 each, documents seen by the Daily Mirror reveal.

SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva confirmed that these recruitments were made, but defended the decision to do so – a decision seen by critics as another example of the politicization of SLC.

“I know people will say things (that the move was political). But we realized that we needed people to work with who can develop cricket in those areas. And these people have worked with SLC for a long time (and therefore were suitable to take up the role),” he told the Daily Mirror.

“Not only coordinators, we also appointed coaches and these appointments were made as part of our plan to make these associations more self-sufficient,” de Silva also said.

Some however, have been critical of the move that was passed at a July Ex-co meeting.

“The provinces and districts where these recruitments were made are associations that voted for this administration,” one SLC source alleged, claiming that those appointed in these coordinator roles were also office bearers of those associations, a task they are elected to do on an honorary basis.

“In some cases these officials are also working in the private sector drawing a salary, and here they are getting another salary from SLC,” the source also alleged asking, “There are already district and provincial associations doing virtually the same thing so why appoint coordinators?”