Sports
What Ranil can learn from Chandrika
Rex Clementine in Delhi
When defending champions Sri Lanka made an inglorious exit from the 1999 Cricket World Cup having failed to progress to the second round, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga acted fast. She didn’t spare anyone. The board was sacked, the captain was sacked and so were the selectors, coach, team manager. In the process she angered many people.
The Board President’s family were staunch SLFPers and had funded the party for decades. The captain was her Cabinet Minister’s son. Many other stakeholders’ better halves had rubbed shoulders with her either at St. Bridget’s or at Colombo – 7.
The measures she took even angered her Sports Minister. But Chandrika didn’t hide behind excuses. She was determined to clean up the mess.
CBK was smart in her choices as well. She didn’t appoint an ex-cricketer to head the committee to run cricket. Instead, she chose a banker. Rienzie T. Wijetilleke is his name. One of the biggest problems facing the sport at that time was corruption and accountability. Wijetilleke brought financial discipline back to cricket.
Then she picked other eminent sportsmen like S. Skandakumar, Michael Tissera and Sidath Wettimuny to run the sport. Things were back on track within weeks.
Sri Lanka not only beat Australia, who had been just crowned World Champions in an ODI series but recorded their first Test win over the Aussies as well. The changes she introduced stood in good stead and Sri Lanka went onto win ten Test matches in a row under a new captain, coach and a selection panel.
The public was all praise for Chandrika for her bold move. But she paid a heavy price. Her government toppled as aggrieved parties licked their wounds and then showed their might by triggering mass crossovers.
But the iron lady wasn’t afraid to take decisions. Had she been in power at the moment, she would have cleaned up this mess, appointed competent men to run the sport and helped Sri Lanka regain the past glories.
Will Ranil take a leaf out of CBK’s book and act? Some have run down Ranil as a weak leader and here’s an opportunity for him to show to the nation it’s far from the truth.
Sadly, some of Ranil’s loyalists like Sagala Ratnayake and Harin Fernando are fans of the current cricket administration. They will be stumbling blocks for bringing in change. If Ranil entertains them, his beloved UNP will fare worse than what they did in the last general elections for people are angry that the sport they love has suffered many setbacks and humiliations.
Thursday night’s embarrassment wasn’t just one off. In the last three years, Sri Lanka have played three qualifying round tournaments in ICC events and right now they are in danger of being knocked out of the Champions Trophy.
Let there be an Interim Committee not to run for a couple of years, but to oversee the affairs of cricket until the new constitution that has been drafted by the retired Supreme Court judge is passed by an act of Parliament and let the new governance structure take place. That will make all stakeholders happy.
We have had too many Interim Committees in the last two and half decades. Let’s put an end to it all by changing our governance structure. Barring the first two Interim Committees, most others that were appointed were to entertain the friends of politicians.
As for the current administration, they have blundered by not being able to move with times like rest of the world has done. They boast of having made record profits but were not able to put up a swimming pool or an indoor nets facility for our High Performance Programme.
They are unable and unwilling to take unpopular decisions for the betterment of the sport. Their lack of foresight has dragged the game into this mess. They need to be replaced without any delay so that fresh thinking can come in and address these issues.
by Reemus Fernando
Two formidable teams Mahinda and Thurstan are set to produce a thrilling contest when they meet in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket tournament final commencing at Sooriyawewa today.
After having recorded a remarkable Big Match victory over the weekend, Thurstan skippered by Thanuga Palihawadana will be looking to conclude the tournament with the coveted title. They had a minor set back on Tuesday when they were beaten by St. Anthony’s Wattala in a limited overs tournament match. Spinner Sethru Fernando who was rested for that match is expected to return for the decisive three-day final.
Mahinda are a team continuing to peak. The team captained by Kaveen Rukshan reached the final displaying a thoroughly dominant performance against St. Thomas’ Matara in the semi-final. The innings and 69 runs victory is their biggest win this season.
They also posted their highest innings total, 373 runs in that match with opening batsman Dulsith Darshana scoring a sensible knock of 96 runs and Senuka Damgamuwa hammering 200 runs in 153 balls.
Keeping Dangamuwa under control will be vital for Thurstan as he has the ability to turn the complexion of a game.
Mahinda will open batting with Dulsith Dharshana and Thevindu Rashmika. Wicketkeeper batsman Randul Mabarana, Sehas Ashinsa, Dineth Pehesara, Manitha Rajapaksha and Dangamuwa will form the top order batting lineup.
The new ball duties are shared by left-arm paceman Sadew Nethmina and Sahanjith Samadith. Left-arm spinners Senuka Dangamuwa and Arosha Udayanga and skipper Rukshan form a strong spin attack.
Thurstan too possess a strong spin department with Sri Lanka Under 19 skipper Vihas Thewmika, captain Palihawadana and Sethru Fernando sharing most of the duties.
Rachintha de Silva who excelled in the Big Match, Yovun Silpa and Lasindu Punsara form the pace attack.
Like Mahinda, Thurstan’s batting line up too produced their best performance of the season (383/8) in the semi-final with Sri Lanka Under 19 batsman Thanuja Rajapakse and Rachintha scoring centuries against their arch rivals.
Dinal Induwara and Rajapakse will open batting for Thurstan. Sethru Fernando, Janitha Rukshan, Thewmika, Rachintha and Pathum Dananjaya will form the top top order batting lineup.
This is not the first time these two teams are meeting this season. When they met during the league stage Thurstan posted 274 to earn first innings points. Mahinda could muster only 205 runs. That was a early third term encounter. Both teams have grown by leaps and bounds. Hence a mouthwatering encounter is on the cards.
In a groundbreaking move to enhance school cricket, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), under the leadership of President Shammi Silva, has introduced three-day school matches in place of the traditional two-day encounters.
As part of this ambitious initiative, SLC has committed financial grants to 56 schools, enabling them to host their annual big matches as three-day contests. Until now, only three schools enjoyed this privilege, while the rest were restricted to two-day games. With this progressive shift, 28 big matches will now be played over three days, ushering in a new chapter for school cricket, effective from the ongoing season.
This transformation, executed in collaboration with the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association, is designed to provide young cricketers with extended match exposure, sharpen their skills, and ensure a seamless transition to first-class and international cricket.
Further strengthening this initiative, SLC has also revamped the U19 School Cricket competition by extending the three-day match format to the knockout stages of Division I and II (both Tier A and B), replacing the previous two-day structure.
Sri Lanka’s school cricket system is one of the most dynamic in the world, with over 6,800 matches played annually across U13, U15, U17, and U19 levels. SLC remains the primary financial pillar behind these tournaments, reaffirming its dedication to grooming the next generation of cricketing talent.
This initiative underscores SLC’s long-term vision for grassroots cricket, reinforcing the foundation that has historically produced Sri Lanka’s finest national players.
Dialog Axiata PLC proudly launches the 2025 Dialog Big Match Season, continuing its legacy of fostering school cricket and shaping future champions. As March arrives, the island will be swept by cricket fever as past and present students unite for this time-honoured tradition.
This year, Dialog sponsors seven iconic Big Matches, featuring 14 esteemed schools competing for pride and glory. The season’s crown jewel, the 146th Battle of the Blues, takes center stage at SSC on March 6th-8th, as Royal College and S. Thomas’ College renew their legendary rivalry. The Mustangs Trophy follows on March 15th.
Other marquee encounters include the 91st Battle of the Saints (April 3rd-5th) and One Day clash (April 26th), the 120th Lovers’ Quarrel (April 3rd-5th), and the 118th Battle of the Maroons in Kandy (April 4th-6th). Fans can also anticipate thrilling contests like the Battle of the Rocks and Battle of the Golds and more.
With its unwavering commitment to Powering the champions of tomorrow, Dialog invites fans to experience the excitement live at the grounds or via ThePapare TV and Dialog ViU. The 2025 season promises passion, tradition, and the birth of future cricketing stars.
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