Dayasiri takes 'game' nto his own hands by stopping players preparing to leave

Dayasiri takes 'game' nto his own hands by stopping players preparing to leave

An incident was reported day-before-yesterday (4) night with the Sports Minister invalidating the international cricket tour of a team who were expected to participate on a tour abroad, for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Cricket a moment before they were to embark on the flight. The reason for this move was that the said group of players were set to leave the

shores without the total approval of Sports Minister Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekera.

Sri Lanka Cricket authorities connected to this incident were subjected to wholesale criticism of the Minister in this respect and a special discussion was held last evening between the Minister and big heads of Sri Lanka Cricket with officers of the cricket selection committee. The chairman of the cricket association Thilanga Sumathipala, the chief administrative officer Ashley de Silva inclusive of cricket association officers attended this meeting and the Minister on that occasion had stated that in future no approval would be granted to any cricket team sent after the specified time and they would not be granted approval and that the funds connected to stopping the players from proceeding day-before-yesterday night would be retrieved from a responsible officer of the cricket association.

Whatever it is, the the responsibility and allegation has been targetted at the chief executive officer Mr. Ashley de Silva in connection with with this unpleasant decision, it has come to be known. At a time when 9 players Thisara Perera, Upul Tharanga, Dhanushka Gunatilleka, Asela Guneratna, Sachith Pathirana, Chathuranga de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Akila Dhananjaya) of the Sri Lanka team who had been selected to represent the forthcoming Sri Lanka - India one-day international cricket tour were close upon leaving to India towards midnight, Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera took abrupt action deciding to put a halt to their journey. Though any national team before participating in an overseas tournament is expected to secure the approval of the Sports Minister, as no such approval was obtained by the Said Sri Lanka cricket team and had tried to set off to India the Sports Minister had decided to revoke their journey, it is reported.

Further, the fact that this one-day cricket team was selected or that the list of names of the selected players had not been forwarded to the approval of the Sports Minister and nothing has been divulged to the media either about these players who were so selected by Sri Lanka Cricket authorities either. The sports law states that once the relevant team is selected by the national cricket selection committee  their list of names has to be forwarded to the Sports Minister 21 days in advance for the approval of the Sports Minister and after such approval is secured, information about the team concerned should be released to the media by the Sri Lanka Cricket Association Media Unit which remained a tradition. However, ignoring the sports law of the country and the accepted tradition, those responsible of Sri Lanka Cricket for taking action all of a sudden to send a cricket team abroad was severely advised by sports Minister Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekera to other related officials including Sri Lanka Cricket Chairman, it was understood. Further, the Sports Minister was not pleased with some players who had been included in the one-day cricket team who had been chosen to tour India on the sly, it was learned.

When 'Mawbima' made an inquiry about this, what Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said was that he happened to receive the list of names of players who were to leave to India only day-before-yesterday (4) evening. The Minister in turn questioned as to how he could grant approval to to a team who are brought before him three or four hours before leaving the island without inquiring related matters from physicians about the suitability of the players and as to who the team is until the team proceed to the airport and who were going. He said that he was unaware of any such information.

He said, "I am a person who is in charge of administration of 62 sports. There's no necessity for me to mollycoddle the cricket association alone. Thisara Perera spoke to me from day-before-yesterday night from Katunayaka Airport, He said 'Sir we have now already got into the flight'. But I told him that nothing could be done. I asked him to come back".

The Minister expressed his ideas regarding the meeting held yesterday. "I clearly said that we can't get reprimanded every day because of you'll. Somebody should accept responsibility for this. I have no pleasant feeling about how certain players are selected. Kusal Janith was not chosen because he had supposedly not turned up for practices. What I say is that if that was an instance of violation of discipline ... throw that reason away. If not, people will think that he was cut off. Whatever it is, the team will be leaving in the night". he said.