Parliament and Selectors

Sri Lanka Cricket has sent the Sunday Times a letter with regard to last week’s Café news item (page 2) headlined ‘Lanka’s Cricket Team Selected in Parliamentary Premises’ stating that no such meeting was held.

The SLC letter sent by Secretary Mohan de Silva states that no “selection meeting or selection process of any sort” was held at the parliamentary offices of the Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala who is also the president of SL Cricket.

He however confirms that a luncheon meeting was held by the SLC President and certain officials “pertaining to the preparation of the National Under 19 squad for the Youth Asia Cup 2016 due to commence in Colombo on the 15th December”.

The meeting was also attended by 3 members of the National Selection Committee, namely Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Eric Upashantha, whilst the other attendees were Roy Dias (Head Coach – Under 19) and Mahinda Halangoda (Manager – Under 19).

At the meeting held on 2nd of December, the President SLC obtained a detailed progress report with respect to the form, fitness and preparations of the Under 19 squad for this all-important tournament and held discussions with respect to the prowess and future potential of the youth players with special consideration of their possible contributions to Sri Lanka’s ICC Youth WC 2018 campaign, SLC Secretary adds.

SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva only confirms that a meeting was held at the parliamentary premises (we never said parliamentary office of the Deputy Speaker). He says it was in regard to the Under 19 Youth Asia Cup tournament which is now in progress and not the South African team as our story claimed.

Why then should the three national selectors be present at an under 19 affair and where the National Selectors have no role to play in the ‘form, fitness and preparation’ of the National Under-19 squad?

By Gad, Sir; that’s not cricket.