Sajeewa Jayakody, reporting in the Daily News, 31 March 2015
In government’s bid to revamp the Sri Lanka Cricket administration, a new Interim Committee has been appointed by the Sports and Tourism Minister Navin Dissanayake yesterday. After facing huge allegation on poor finance control and debt, the former elected body was dissolved by the Minister replacing a combination of past cricketers, professionals and administrators.
Former Test cricketer, one time Selection Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny, who was a two-time member of previous interim committees, has been appointed as the new Interim Committee President. Kushil Gunasekara and former Test cricketer Kapila Wijegunawardene chosen as the Vice Presidents.
Prakash Schaffter, the 48-year-old former Cambridge University cricketer has been named as the Secretary replacing Nishantha Ranatunga, who has been continuously criticized for poor administration during the existed tenure. Accountant Lucillie Wijewardene joins the committee as the Treasurer.
The AGM was scheduled for April 30, but according to Minister’s statement, no any elections for office-bearers. “Im not going for an election at this stage because the time is right to unify and not to further divide an already fractured SLC,” Minister Dissanayake wrote.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe lashed out the existed Cricket Board at a public gathering in Colombo yesterday. “There are corruption allegations on the cricket administration. So we need to clean the system before the elections can be held,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told. The SLC owes 500 million rupees to the State Engineering Corporation, so the Parliament has the responsibility to go into all these transactions,” Wickremesinghe said. Wettimuny, 58, had already been appointed as a member of the 10-member National Sports Council, which was announced by Sports and Tourism Minister Navin Dissanayake early this month.
SLC Interim Committee: Sidath Wettimuny (President), Prakash Schaffter (Secretary), Lucillie Wijewardene (Treasurer), Kushil Gunasekara/Kapila Wijegunawardene (Vice Presidents), Prasanna Jayawardene PC, Duminda Hulangamauwa, Nuski Mohomed, Jayananda Warnaweera.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=sports/no-election-new-interim-committee-run-slc#sthash.Qgm8YY2G.dpuf
Prakash Schaffter — Pic from www.newsfirst.lkww.adaderana.lk
Kushil Gunasekara — Pic from http://www.trust.org
Sidath drives
ALSO SEE
Sunday Leader: “Postmortem on Sri Lankan Cricket: Sidath and Skanda,” 30 December 2012, https://cricketique.live/2012/12/30/postmortem-on-sri-lankan-cricket-sidath-and-skanda/
Sidarth Monga: “Our early 80s line-up was better than today’s”– Sidath Wettimuny in conversation with Sidarth Monga,’ 31 December 2010, Courtesy of cricinfo –originally posted in August 2010
“Sri Lanka’s First Test Encounter at Lords, 23-28 August 1984, on Video,” 23 May 2014, https://cricketique.wordpress