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14 Monday 19th April, 2010 t is not a new argument, Yahaluweni, as the comments that follow have Ifeatured more than once in these Looking into a crystal ball and planning for the future... files to highlight anomalies in the system. This includes anything involv- ing the deviousness of the politi- cal machinations within the game and as such, pressure tac- Time to clean up tics. But whatever way you want to look at it, the provincial sys- tem currently in use in the island has again failed to deliv- er at an outdated system all before when these points were raised, ment the provincial system as the north Western Province to make room for the risks are high and the fallout can get opens up, Wayamba Province sixth Provincial team from the east. unpleasant, but the rewards for the (Kurunegala), and the Central Province Ruhuna will at least have the luxury provinces long-term will be greater than (Kandy) will be important stops along the of playing at a Test venue, Galle the risks being taken, or the fallout. way; as will Ruhuna Province (Galle), Stadium, and Hambantota when it is fin- As he suggested in the late 1940s, serve as an important link on the way to ished, and the Northern Province based and again in the early 1960s, the late Dr. the new stadium at Hambantota, for both in Jaffna with the ability to initially play C. H. Gunasekara, the first Ceylon-born the game of cricket and tourism. games in Dambulla until a venue is captain argued the club system had This will be felt next year when the developed in Jaffna itself. become too dominant; as he saw it World Cup (that is the 50 over event) is The ideal location for the Jaffna then, it was not healthy for the long- held in the island with games at three venue would be the Jaffna Central term welfare of the game as it cen- centres, and Pallekele and its surrounds College ground, sandwiched as it is tralised the sport with a few elite will be tested and used as a future base, between the magnificent Jaffna library (clubs). His vision was to create not shabby Asgiriya, with toilet facilities and the historic Jaffna Central College regions and wrote this in a paper fit only for a pigsty. building. It could become one of the designed to decentralise the club sys- To carry the provincial programme great cricket venues in the world, and tem designed to also develop quality forward, the need is for six provincial what a great way to get Jaffna up and players from the outstations. teams to be established, each province running again, emotionally and commer- Little has changed in the 48 years having squads of as many as 15 contract- cially. or so since Dr. CH made his opinions ed players, plus five rookie contracts, As for the Eastern Province, this is Aravinda...a director to oversee provincial restructuring known and why one of the designs of from the province. Those players failing going to be a long term project, with a this 21st century strategy is how in to make the senior contract cut can be venue and infrastructure to be developed. There are ways to overcome such con- levels to benefit its development and the future, the monolithic Colombo club placed in a yearly draft, with any But for those looking into a crystal ball tinued gaffes and as commented before, players and that’s why it needs a major structure will serve only as a feeder to province offering five contracts to play- into the future, Trincomalee and much to the chagrin of some with their overhaul. the provincial system and not have a vote ers from outside their provincial region. Batticaloa can be developed and in time ‘attitude’ problem, the obvious solution If they form a committee to do this, at Sri Lanka Cricket. Instead, each This is with the proviso, of course host international games. is for the president to intervene, and as a however, the need is for transparency province will have two representatives to that the province finishing last would be The six provinces would be based on suggestion, appoint Aravinda De Silva as and clear thinking from people who serve the SLC board with a vote granted the first the following boundaries: Northern the director of cricket at SLC. To give it the game, not use it to create a power and the ability to elect a five players avail- Province would be made up of the cur- transparency, he has to be answerable to base. chairman from within the The Chesterfield Files able the following rent Northern Province boundary, and the SLC president as a way of ensuing Events of last month and the fiasco ranks of the provincial dele- year. For a start, it the district of Anuradhapura from the protocols are observed in cleaning up the with the T20 provincial tournament and gates. would even up the North central Province added in; Central areas where serious dissatisfaction squad selection for the ICC World T20 in All other positions will competition very Province would consist of the current reigns. the Caribbean showed how the national be contract employees with quickly and devel- Central Province boundary with the dis- For a start, Aravinda would be selectors, aka the fumbling four, meant SLC and these will be op a strong provin- trict of Polonnaruwa added in; the charged with restructuring the provin- that the player who performed best, renewed on performance. cial identity among Wayamba Province would consist of the cial set-up as well as looking after all Jeevantha Kulatunga was not included. It makes sense also, with the players. current North western and cricket matters, as the current malaise How did they miss that one? Their expla- the long, exhausting civil Where this plan Sabaragamuwa Provinces combined. shows how the strength versus strength nations were as specious as those making conflict in the north out of becomes tricky is The Western Province would be the format has been overlooked; this is espe- them. the way for the first time when SLC has to current Western Province boundary. The cially at the first-class level. That is when this cosy coterie was since Sri Lanka were redirect the current Southern Province would be the current What is taking place at present is not made to look even more foolish when 10 upgraded as fulltime mem- funding from the Southern Province boundary and The improving cricket in the island at all; it’s days later, having been bluntly told by bers of the International clubs to the provin- Eastern Province would consist of the only maintaining the positions of the the media how they had fouled their nest Cricket Council in 1981, the cial associations. current Eastern and Uva Provincial incumbents on and off the field. Players by overlooking the tournament’s top country is in a position to The Colombo clubs boundaries combined. no longer have to perform; they only batsman, then named him in the squad develop the game islandwide currently exist only If Sri Lanka is to grow as a genuine need to be friendly with the right selec- as an extra. This is when they had to get along provincial lines, where because of the cricket nation (as has India as an exam- tor(s) or senior player and they are in. It permission from the International previously it had been funding available ple) and create quality, provincial cricket suggests how the senior players involved Cricket Council to increase the squad restricted to a Colombo from SLC: not one is needed in, to take the game to the next are ‘shareholders’ of a player/manage- by Trevor Chesterfield from 30 to 31. When this belated action based competition, because is in a position to level domestically, But to do this, those in ment company, which is an oft discussed was criticised, they came up with some of the conflict in the north. stand up and say to charge need to get it right, having been point, raising questions, about conflict of cockeyed excuse of he was ‘cover for Colombo might be the SLC, we don’t need involved in the game and not in it interest. injury’ without explaining whose injury. seat of government, but all the develop- your money, we can survive financially. because of politics and the money Do the players have to disclose their What typical political obfuscation that ment and growth will be out of Colombo, Yet, there is a role they can play in being involved, but for the sake of the game commercial interest, as other employees turned out to be! hence the population growth will also be used as a second tier in the system. and the future. of SLC are required to do? It is a point of What a mess it became, making Sri out of Colombo, facilitating a need to As for the venues, Kandurata’s home Such a genuine cricket culture takes serious debate. Lanka Cricket look even more idiotic on take the game to the new growth centres, would be Pallekele Stadium, Wayamba’s time, and new faces and fresh minds are When it comes to restructuring the the international stage and shaming as Colombo alone will not be able to sus- home would be Welagedara Stadium, needed to get this programme off the provincial system, it needs to be done in those players who proudly represent this tain the game in the island, developmen- Basnahira North and Basnahira South ground for the good of the game and the such a way as to create a strong, viable country while they (the selectors), like tally or financially.

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