Sri Lanka It's Happening

November 12, 2005

President CBK almost overstayed her welcome. She wasn't really welcome in the first place. It's just that the leader contestant at the election 11 years ago fell victim to an LTTE bomb.

Sanath Jayasooriya, the former Sri Lankan cricket captain has always been welcome. It's just that the minister of sports doesn't wasn't him anymore. According to newspaper reports (in the Daily News no less), the cricket selectors have sent a squad with the Sanath's name in it and the minister has refused to sign it.

In Sri Lanka we have had this redicolous situation where a minister who is clueless about sport holds sway over sports governing bodies. The minister has to put his signature on any national team list. It would be fine if prominent sportsmen are in parliament, usually they are not, but this parliament is an exception. The former national cricket champion is a deputy minister. You might think he would have been appointed the minister of sport but CBK gave the job to her kinsman.

Having said all that, the minister's decision is not a bad call after. It has been a public secret for many years that the Seniors in the Sri Lanka cricket team band together to keep youngsters at bay. Some of the big names have been failing time and again without so much as a reduction in their contracts.

Posted by raditha at November 12, 2005 7:52 PM