Friday 6th June, 2008 15 large no of officials and the keep it at 10 or 12 top clubs and who matter should also remem- media was a poor reflection of make the first criteria for a ber that they are taking a huge the tournament and gross player to get in to the limelight risk with this new change. We injustice to the sponsors. to be able to play in a club and pray that it will work for the On the same topic I read an then from it select say five good of the game we all love. interesting interview by Sidat teams to play in tournament But stop for a minute and Wettimuny in one of the similar to the so called try to think what might be the Sunday papers where he had Provincial, which will be the outcome if this becomes a fail- outlined the proposed final test for the national team. ure and cause a detriment? Provincial Structure. He had Actually I feel it might be a Arjuna and Sidat the much also drawn a parerell to the sys- good idea, as, if a player can’t loved cricketers will be detest- tems in Australia, England and find a place in a strong club ed by the public. And then South Africa? Wettimuny team how could he go up the Arjuna’s theory of only nation- should be congratulated for his ladder? al cricketers running cricket thinking as it sounded Having said all this, I do will only be yet another hollow absolutely brilliant! know that the likes of the statement. They may never be However, my first concern Ranathunga’s and the able to return to cricket admin- istration as the people will there is, that all these nations Wettimuny’s are the experts remember them for messing up are developed and have their and I was merely echoing senti- cricket rather than building it. own regional economies. Also ments of mine and friends and So its best everybody concern lets not forget that those relatives on the matter as an interesting dialog has com- look where they are treading as states/provinces are bigger this is not anybody’s private than the whole of Sri Lanka menced on the topic. But I think in fairness, the people property but a game loved and and possible richer too. In com- adored by everybody! parison our economy is only in Colombo and the provincial system which was brought into solve the political problems too has not succeeded. The inter- esting question here is when a SRI LANKA TELECOM PLC system set up for development Co. Reg. PQ7 of provinces is yet struggling with all the resources and the Lotus Road, Colombo 01. backing of the state, how can sponsor backed Provincial LOSS OF SHARE CERTIFICATES Cricket succeed? Also do we have so many sponsors to sup- Applications have been received for the issue of Duplicate Share Certificates, the port cricket in the country? originals of which are reported to have been lost/misplaced/destroyed. Former team-mates Sidat Wettimuny and Arjuna Ranatunga are seen during a cricket function last year. The former cap- What may happen if the spon- tain is the boss at Sri Lanka Cricket now while the Inter-Provincial Cricket Tournament is the brainchild of the former sors pull out? Surely pertinent Name of Shareholder Original Certificate Number of opener. Certain member clubs of SLC are opposed to the Inter-Provincial Tournament, as it devalues the inter-club com- questions to think about! Number Ordinary Shares petition. Speaking further my broth- Mrs. Mala Vinodani Wadanambiarachchi SL13850 200 er’s friends said that Wettimuny had gone on record Mr. Kulappu Arachchige Gunasiri 003851 8,166 to state that Sri Lanka cricket Mr. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Mahinda Ekanayaka 006701 1,563 had discovered three new play- Mrs. Mihindukulasuriya Liyanage Theresa Priyangani ers after the Provincial Limited Hettiarachchi 006035 11,293 Over Tournament. Now what most people may ask the knowl- Mrs. Samitha Dodangoda 006718 1,563 Some thoughts edgeable Wettimuny is, were Mrs. Ekanayake Mudiyanse!age Chandrika Ekanayake 001469 5,383 these players brought in to play Mr. Jayantha Lal Singhabahu SL21843 2,000 cricket for the time in the Mr. Rathnapura Hewage Leelaratna Saman Kumar 006054 2,434 Provincial Tournament? Definitely not! I believe they Mr. Kolatuwawage Nohoth Senadeera Achchige Kapila were playing for their clubs Gunawadana 003594 7,077 to ponder for any way. If Wettimuny is refer- Mr. Mahawattage Don Mahinda Gunasena 006612 9,161 ring to Ajantha Mendis, he was Mr. Warnakulasuriya Mervin Tissera SL07721 200 playing for the Army under the watchful eye of the General V.R Mr. Weerakkodige Sirimanna 008652 951 Silva. Therefore the credit for Mr. Sumedha Nishantha Dematanpitiya Arachchige SL07079 200 unearthing him should go Mr. Pateranage Wijekumara Perera 006835 1,303 according to my brother, to the Miss. Anuradha Sujeewanie Somaratne SL06818 1,000 General and the not the Arjuna and Sidat Mr. Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage Hemakumara Provincial Tournament! And the next point he said was had Rathnayake 000203 3,299 the selectors watched matches Mr. Bandula Punyawansa Amarasinghe 006250 2,173 by Chinthaka they would have found these Mr Vishvanathapillai Yogendran 005759 2,647 Let’s not forget that Sri Lanka has won a world players much earlier and may Kamburupitiya Mrs. Chamila Surangi Somaratne SL07081 200 have read with a lot of inter- be a few more players too. est the recent debate on the cup under the incumbent Interim Chairman in Which brings me to a question Mr. Mirissage Jude Nishan Premakumar Fernando 000410 3,299 IProposed Inter Provincial 1996 when there was a club tournament in place to Ranathunga. Mrs. Indu Subhodani Gunawardena SL13508 1,000 Tournament in The Island. I On that score how can Mrs. Kaluthotage Renuka Karunanayaka 005851 2,606 think at the very inception the and interestingly they say there were 30 clubs Ashantha De Mel, who is the news paper deserves a big Chairman of CPC with a load Mr. Thusan Anjana Vithana Arachchi 008315 823 thank you as this topic seems playing top cricket in Sri Lanka then. Secondly of responsibility be the Mrs. Manikge Mary Roseman Somaratne SL07078 600 to gather a lot of interest par- even in 2007 we were the runner-up with a club Chairman of selectors as I Mr. Muthuwadige Linus Christie Alwis 000033 10,464 ticularly amongst the crick- wonder whether he has time to Mr. Titus Padmasiri Dadallage SL21015 1,000 eters and the supporters of structure. So the question my brother’s friends watch cricket? Is it fair by the them. Having said that I must players to have such a busy per- Mr. Rajapaksa Appuhamilage Janaka Sudarman confess that I have no connec- seem to ask is why change it so soon? They also son to head an important com- Rajapaksa 001840 5,123 tion to the game in any way mittee? And a bunch of people Mrs. Devika Bandara 007378 563 other than being part of a large felt that the 4 day tournament which was just may be with the exception of Miss Kelum Madhu Wengappuli SL20332 600 army of supporters in Sri concluded was one of the most competitive tour- one selector who is not able to Lanka. However, I have been watch any cricket? Mr. Abdul Majeed Mohammad Zubair SL23348 1,000 exposed many times to the naments they had ever played and it is not fare to Anyway getting back to the Mr. Waduwala Gedara Gnanasiri 005651 3,299 chats and discussion my broth- Provincial cricket, my conclu- Mr. Wijekoon Mudiyanselage Keerthi Upul Bandara 007203 823 er’s friends used to indulge in change it without letting it run for another 2 to 3 sion after all these arguments Mrs. Rajini Thushanthi Wickramanayake SL10226 300 as they do play Premier League is that may be Sri Lanka needs Cricket for Bloomfield Cricket years at least. a tournament above the clubs Mr. Ratnasiri Munasingha Kodikara SL21716 300 Club. And their tone appeared or may be not according to the Mr. Dayandana Liyanage Douglas Weerakoon 002751 4,518 to be one of great concern and cricketers themselves playing Mr. Thushyanthran Ganesan SL08133 3,500 worry. Reading what was cup under the incumbent they had ever played and it is in the big league? My thinking Mr. Kurukulasooriya Palpattankattige Christopher appearing in ‘The Island’ with Interim Chairman in 1996 not fare to change it without is if it is needed the best thing regards to the tournaments, I when there was a club tourna- letting it run for another 2 to 3 is to go back may be to the Ravindra Fernando SL15238 1500 thought of talking to my broth- ment in place and interestingly years at least. Another point olden days as my father says Miss Devaraja Pathirennehelage Nilanthi Deepika er who was an active partici- they say there were 30 clubs they made was up to now the and play a tournament like the pant on these so called discus- Amarasena 006808 1,391 playing top cricket in Sri Provincial Tournaments were a Robert Senanayake Trophy. sions and what was reveled was Miss Wickramarathna Kankanamge Inoka Nilanthi 008364 823 Lanka then. Secondly even in failure and whilst they expect- Where you have different teams very interesting and also I 2007 we were the runner-up ed the new format to be a suc- and not call them provincial, as Mr. Nawulla Pathirathnage Prabhath 008317 823 thought they had very logical with a club structure. So the cess the recent Twenty-20 tour- even the Provincials itself are Mr.