Four Momentous Steps for Future in Sri Lanka Cricket

ONE: New SLC Board:  Report courtesy of Wisden India, 3 March 2015 …. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/sidath-wettimuny-to-head-sri-lanka-cricket-interim-committee/537284-78.html

Sidath Wettimuny, the former Sri Lankan opener, has been appointed head of a nine-member interim committee to carry out functions of Sri Lanka Cricket. The committee, established by Navin Dissanayake, Sri Lanka’s sports minister, will be effective from Wednesday (April 1) and function until an election is held or until further notice. Prakash Schaffter was appointed secretary of the interim committee while Lucille Wijewardena was made treasurer. Kushil Gunasekara and Kapila Wijewardena were named vice-presidents. Nuzki Mohamed, Prasanna Jayawardena, Jayananda Warnaweera and Duminda Hulangamuwa are the other members. SLC board SLC-sidath + Minister Navin Dissanayake

The elections for SLC’s office-bearers usually happen before March 31 every year, but this year’s election was postponed to April 30 due to the World Cup. The appointments to all posts held by the current office-bearers, including that of president, held by Jayantha Dharmadasa, were cancelled. Mohamed and Warnaweera were the only members who were retained in the new committee.

“I’m not going for an election at this stage because the time is right to unify and not to further divide an already fractured SLC,” wrote Dissanayake in a Facebook post. “I know Sidath will do an excellent job. I’ve also appointed a mix of cricketers, professionals and administrators to assist Sidath [sic] in this very challenging role.”

Wettimuny, 58, played 23 Tests and 35 One-Day Internationals for Sri Lanka between 1982 and 1987.

KSUHIL -www.trust.org Kushil Gunasekara sidath-at-lords Sidath at Lords

TWO: New Selection Committee: … “Wijegunawardene replaces Jayasuriya as chief selector,” Sa’adi Thawfeeq, i8 April 2015 in http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/858899.html

KAPILA WFormer Sri Lanka fast bowler Kapila Wijegunawardene has been named the chairman of Sri Lanka’s new four-member selection committee, replacing Sanath Jayasuriya. Two former wicket-keepers Amal Silva and Brendon Kuruppu, and middle-order batsman Hemantha Wickremaratne were the other members.

The new committee replaced the five-member panel headed by Jayasuriya that resigned last Friday after serving for two years. Following Sri Lanka’s quarter-final exit from the 2015 World Cup, Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake dissolved the Sri Lanka Cricket administration and appointed an interim committee headed by former Sri Lanka Test batsman Sidath Wettimuny for an indefinite period.

At a media conference held soon afterwards both the Minister and Wettimuny had expressed the view that fresh thinking was needed in selections which led to Jayasuriya and his committee tending their resignation.

ALSO SEE   Nirgunan Tiruchelvam:  “The Man who bowled Viv Richards,” Sunday Island, 18 April 2015, http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=123242

THREE: New Team Manager: … from Andrew Fidel Fernando article under a different heading

 Jeryl Woutersz, the former first-class cricketer and domestic match referee, has been appointed Sri Lanka’s team manager for the incoming tours of Pakistan and India. Woutersz’s appointment is the latest in a slew of changes effected by the new interim committee. In addition to having named a new selection panel for the men’s national side on Wednesday, the board has also appointed a new selection panel for the women’s team, headed by former Sri Lanka quick Vinothen John.

WOUTERSZWoutersz, whose term begins on May 1, has recently been the manager of the Sri Lanka under-19 side – a role in which he had impressed with his integrity, SLC vice-president Kushil Gunasekara said. “Jerry is a very disciplined sort of person, and someone who can earn and command respect, which was important to the committee,” he said. “We’re not trying to compare him with anyone who’s done the job previously, but as a new committee, we needed to infuse a new kind of thinking. We are called upon to make changes and bring greater productivity. We hear Jerry has done a very good job as under-19 manager, and he fits the bill.”

Though at present Woutersz’s term ends after India’s August tour, the committee has appointed him with a view to keeping him in the role more permanently. “If he fares well, I’m sure he can continue,” Gunasekara said.

Alongside John in the new women’s selection committee are former Sri Lanka quick Uvais Karnain, and former first-class batsman Varuna Weeragoda. Ex-women’s team captain Vanessa de Silva has also been appointed the women’s team manager.

Woutersz had played in the 1982 rebel tour to South Africa under Bandula Warnapura, and had been a stalwart of the Burgher Recreation Club side of the 1980s, playing as a slow-bowling allrounder. He replaces Michael de Zoysa as the team’s manager. De Zoysa’s contract had expired after the World Cup.

Sri Lanka’s next international assignment, against Pakistan, is not expected to begin until mid-June, though the schedule for that tour has not yet been announced.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando…..© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

FOUR: A Team squads vs Pakistan signal New Prospects … from Andrew Fidel Fernando article under f different heading in http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/861067.html

CRICKET-NZL-SRI Dushmantha Chameera —Pic from Getty

Quick Dushmantha Chameera and offspinner Tharindu Kaushal have been named in Sri Lanka A’s one-day and four-day squads for the upcoming series against Pakistan A, at home. Chameera and Kaushal had both played in Sri Lanka’s quarter-final against South Africa in Sydney, and Kaushal had earlier made his Test debut in December.

Others named in both squads include batsmen Kusal Perera, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Dhananjaya de Silva and Ashan Priyanjan, seamers Kasun Madushanka, Lahiru Gamage and Nisala Tharaka, and allrounder Asela Gunaratne. Milinda Siriwardana and Malinda Pushpakumara, who were respectively top-scorer and top wicket-taker in the Premier League tournament, both get call-ups.

However, batsman Jehan Mubarak, who has had two outstanding first-class seasons on the trot, has not been named, nor has left-arm spinning allrounder Chaturanga de Silva, who was a fixture in A team squads last year.

Sri Lanka A play three one-dayers and three four-day matches against Pakistan A, beginning with a one-dayer in Matara on April 26. These selections are the first put forward by the new selection committee headed by Kapila Wijegunawardene. No captain has been named in either squad.

Sri Lanka A squad for four-dayers: Dhananjaya de Silva, Udara Jayasundera, Madhawa Warnapura, Ashan Priyanjan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Roshen Silva, Kusal Perera, Tharindu Kaushal, Malinda Pushpakumara, Lahiru Gamage, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Nisala Tharaka, Kasun Madushanka, Asela Gunaratne.

Sri Lanka A squad for one-dayers: Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Ashan Priyanjan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Milinda Siriwardene, Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Tharindu Kaushal, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Gamage, Dushmantha Chameera

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, interim committees, player selections, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket, work ethic, World Cup 2015

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