There is little room for doubt that Thilanga Sumathipala, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket and Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain are sworn enemies. The way both individuals have attacked each other in public is well documented.
So it came as a bit of a surprise when Sumathipala extended a hand of friendship and invited Ranatunga to join him and offer his services to uplift Sri Lanka cricket. It is an invitation in the eyes of the public which Ranatunga cannot refuse lest he will be looked up as a past cricketer who is turning his back on the country.
On the contrary the big question is whether Ranatunga will want to tarnish his good name by tagging onto Sumathipala whom he has accused of being a gambler, swindler, manipulator etc and one who should not be holding office as the head of Sri Lanka Cricket. He had even gone to the extent of urging the government in power to dissolve the present SLC body and appoint an interim committee under him.
“We have brought cricket in Sri Lanka to a position which we can be proud of. If we are to save the most popular and widespread sport in the country, we must relieve it from bookies,” said Ranatunga. “The best strategy available to us to put an end to the current mess in cricket is to dissolve the Cricket Board and appoint an Interim Committee. I am ready to take the leadership of this endevour, for the sake of national cricket of our country.”
“I have no objection towards Arjuna coming to help,” said Sumathipala during a media conference held last Sunday to introduce Sri Lanka Cricket’s latest signing of 1996 World Cup winning team member Asanka Gurusinha into the Sri Lanka team’s ever growing coaching staff.
“We have about eight out of the 14 member 1996 World Cup winning team working with us. Aravinda (de Silva), Sanath (Jayasuriya), Romesh
(Kaluwitharana), Hashan (Tillakaratne), (Chaminda) Vaas, Upul Chandana and now Gurusinha,” said Sumathipala.
“All of them are highly talented. Kumar Dharmasena is an international umpire; Roshan Mahanama was a renowned ICC Match Referee. Even before them players like Ranjith Fernando and Hemantha Devapriya too did great service,” he said.
“During my previous tenure as SLC president Aravinda and Arjuna both played for the national team. I was the vice president when we won the World Cup.
Arjuna has an enormous amount of knowledge and experience. He can do a great service again. I have no objection in inviting him to render his services towards building up the team. There is no restriction for that.
Lots of cricketers honour him and there is no question about his experience,” Sumathipala stated.
That is saying quite a mouthful and an offer which no one can resist turning down. Will Ranatunga fall for the bait?
To roll back the years it is Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva who in their prime years as cricketers were instrumental in bringing Sumathipala into the Sri Lanka Cricket administration stream in the nineties. They wanted someone to represent the players and fight their battle at the SLC and Sumathipala became a popular figure with them. But over time a lot has changed while De Silva has stuck with Sumathipala, Ranatunga has fallen out with him and even lost a contest for the SLC presidency as well as failing to win a position as an SLC vice-president at the last election.
The appointment of Gurusinha who was domiciled in Australia since the World Cup triumph came as a surprise to many. His role as Sri Lanka cricket manager explained by Sumathipala is that he will mainly work as a coordinator between the national team, selection committee and Sri Lanka Cricket. He will also act as the national team manager on all foreign tours..
Sumathipala said that the existing team manager Ranjith Fernando would continue his role alongside Gurusinha and that the duties of the team manager and head of selection committee Sanath Jayasuriya will come under Gurusinha. Sumathipala stressed that the team manager and SLC manager are two different duties with Ranjith Fernando looking after the administrative affairs during tours.
By making Gurusinha national team manager for all foreign tours and his role as coordinator between national team, selection team and SLC shuts the door on national selectors going on tours with the national teams in future. It is a complete slap on the face for Jayasuriya and Co.
It was only recently that Jayasuriya was involved in a situation where there were reports that he had threatened to resign after indifference with the SLC hierarchy over a selector not being sent on the tour to South Africa amongst other issues. Jayasuriya finally had his way and travelled to South Africa for the T20Is and ODIs. As things are turning out to be it is Sumathipala calling the shots, for how long only time tell.
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