Category Archives: backyard cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando,  in ESPNcricinfo, 19 April 2017, where the title runs “Why is SLC in public-relations overdrive?”  … and the by-line urns: “Thilanga Sumathipala’s board has done as much for Sri Lanka’s cricket as any other, but the chairman’s desperation for the limelight does them no favours;”

Five men stand in front of the sponsors’ backdrop at the presentation that follows Sri Lanka’s T20 win over Bangladesh. Four of them are holding cheques; the man who holds nothing is Thilanga Sumathipala, SLC president and unelected deputy speaker of the House. He stands closest to the presenter, and his presence seems gratuitous at first. When proceedings begin, however, it becomes clear that the camera is smitten with Sumathipala and that he is smitten with it. When Kusal Perera comes up to be interviewed about his Player-of-the-Match performance, there Sumathipala is, looking paternally over the player’s shoulder with a benevolent grin. While other awards are being handed out, the camera may stray, but as if bound by fate, it always has a way of finding its way back to Sumathipala. It captures his coy smirks and his firm handshakes.  Continue reading →