by Rex Clementine

One of the respected voices in cricket has warned that cricket selectors can be influenced and there needs to be background checks before selection appointments are made. This individual is a former Sri Lanka captain who has held various positions at SLC since retiring from the game and he is known for his unquestionable integrity.

He was one of the former captains who attended a meeting chaired by Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa at the ministry premises earlier this week. The meeting was attended by several former captains and cricket administrators. Minister Rajapaksa tweeted that it was a ‘fruitful’ discussion.

The present selection committee has made some bizarre decisions that has not gone down too well with the public and it came under heavy flack by a host of former captains during the meeting on Monday.

While axing half a dozen seniors from the white ball teams, the selectors sent the wrong signals when they went on record saying that they hoped to retain the services of fast bowler Lasith Malinga for the home T-20 series against India. The statement obviously did not go down well in cricket circles with the coaching staff issuing an ultimatum that if Malinga wanted to return to the side, he needed to meet necessary fitness standards.

The Island learns that the selectors were even willing to make some exceptions for Malinga when it came to fitness. Eventually, there was opposition within the selection panel and the Malinga fantasy lasted a little more than the England innings at Trent Bridge.

The selectors choice for captaincy too left many in bewilderment. Kusal Janith Perera hadn’t even captained his school; Royal College when he was appointed as skipper of the T-20 and ODI sides. The leadership many felt was too much of a burden for KJP and into the bargain he was made to keep wickets apart from opening batting. This was after the selectors had named Niroshan Dickwella in the top category of annual contracts claiming he is a certainty in all three formats. The national selection panel is full of contradictions.

The KJP experiment naturally did not last long and he was axed as captain barely a month later.

If that appointment was not bad enough, how about the choice for vice-captain? Time was when the corporate sector took a leaf out of cricket for maintaining high standards but at present decisions made in cricket circles has become a laughing stock. The national selection panel chose someone on bail as the vice-captain of the national cricket team. Kusal Mendis is his name. Obviously, that experiment too did not last long.

Mendis’ form too was rotten when he was appointed vice-captain having picked up four successive ducks. Having not made any impact in any form of cricket to warrant a comeback, Mendis finds himself not only included  in the side but elevated to the post of vice-captain too.

A host of former captains who attended the meeting echoed one sentiment; selections are handled by amateurs.