Battle of the gentlemen | Daily News

Battle of the gentlemen

The title refers in general to what are cricket matches played by rival schools who have traditional fixtures elevated to the level of a Big Match. Most are played in March every year by the senior team. The fixtures are seen across many parts of the country.

Cricket as we all know is popular across the country. It’s expensive. A ground to practice and play is a luxury for many. A matting wicket is a basic need. A turf even more. Knowledgeable coaches, physiotherapists, physical trainers are not easy to find and come with a price attached. A school excelling has to build up teams from the junior years to enable a sustainable cricketing regime.

A successful cricket programme attracts interest from parents and boys. Principals and staff of public schools have to manage within budgets allocated by the Ministry whilst being subject to service based transfers.

Old boys become involved if they were successful themselves in school and after. Once a cricket programme is established top up funding is required through sponsorship. Sponsors invest if it gives visibility for their identity and products or services. Each child requires cricketing gear which does not come cheap. Last but not least there is an element of nutrition for sports which entails some expenses.

Ombudspersons for sports

If sufficient numbers attend practices, parents and children alike clamour for their child to play competitive games. The human element enters with variable notions of equal opportunity and fair play. These are all daunting challenges for any school and cricketer.

Sports being competitive mechanisms are required for appeals to be lodged to act as an arbitrator to listen to grievances involving unfair treatment of students or ill treatment by school authorities. Ombudsperson render services on a purely voluntary basis and/or honourary capacity.

What is the Ombudsperson?

The Ombudsperson would serve as an impartial, independent and confidential resource to assist the school and students in resolving problems, complaints, conflicts, and other sports related issues and/or grievances.

What will the Ombudsperson do?

Assist in solving problems and/or disputes.

Serve as a resource to complainants by providing an alternative to the formal complaint process.

Assist complainants in clarifying their issues and generating options for resolution.

Serve as a resource to the school administrators by providing the tools for effective dispute resolution.

Make non-binding recommendations to the head of school, based on facts and circumstances uncovered in the course of the inquiries and/or investigations carried out.

Hear anonymous requests for information and provide referrals.

What will the Ombudsperson NOT do?

Address employee grievances.

Participate in litigation.

Make, set or change policy.

Compel any decision or exert any influence regarding the implementation of recommendations made as a result of an informal inquiry/investigation.

Breach confidentiality.

What types of issues will the Ombudsperson handle? Unfair and/or unequal treatment, harassment, discrimination, clarification of policies and procedures.

Tools used by the Ombudsperson - Current criteria to participate, be chosen and where applicable hold office in teams will be made known to all at practices and will be publicly displayed, No team or pool of players will have any practice of soliciting in kind contributions from players, parents, All Coaches and Masters in Charge or Teachers in Charge subscribe to a Code of Conduct.

Application for review

Complaints could only be made by students and parents/guardians. The complaint should be made within days of any incident or practice seen as discriminatory, unfair or unwarranted by the student. The Ombudsperson may at his discretion call for additional information from the complainant. At the inquiry, all concerned parties would be afforded a fair hearing. It would be solutions based where consensus is sought and if not the Ombudsperson would pronounce his recommendations and transmit the same to the Head of school for necessary action.

A handful at best has this facility in Sri Lanka.

Organising Big Matches

A venue costs. Tents as they are euphemistically termed need to be rigged, tickets sold, sponsors found, service providers contracted, media sponsors found, security arranged and umpires allocated. The Big Match with a higher profile sees old boys working for a minimum of seven months to organise a match every year. School perfects, house prefects and stewards are deployed. Souvenirs are produced by some schools. The match days entail exhausting work for those deployed. Most are volunteers spending time and energy to set up events which provide much entertainment.

The cricket

A focus on results masks skills and performances. It’s no different at Big Matches. Cricket requires eleven to perform for a team performance. A tail ender who scores two whilst his partner contributes the winning runs in an hours play contributes equally to the win. Leadership and leaders within teams are another prerequisite. Laws and regulations around cricket have become more exacting. It’s not a game played by white flannelled fools! We not only have on - field umpires, we have a third umpire and match referee. Standards of conduct and playing styles are regulated. The Big Match is ultimately a cricket match. There is a notion the hype around Big Matches is bigger than the cricket. It is not and must not be.


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