Wednesday 14th January, 2009 Srinivasan Lokuge by Rex Clementine holding any position at the board or be involved with any other matters per- t’s official. Sri Lanka Cricket has taining to the sport including cricket been sold to India for a period of ten commentaries, in which discipline Iyears for a grand sum of US$ 45 mil- Arnold has already made an impres- lion. At a time when various cricket sive start after retiring from interna- boards in the world and the tional cricket. International Cricket Council are show- The timing of the agreement is also ing concern on the way the cash rich seen in cricket circles as a move to Indian board is trying to manipulate project to the government that SLC cricket, SLC has become the latest pawn will not gain any support from India as to fall prey to the Board of Control for long as Arjuna Ranatunga heads the Cricket in India. local board. The government is under The deal was confirmed at the Sri heavy pressure to reinstate Ranatunga Lanka Cricket headquarters yesterday as the head of the Interim Committee, in the presence of N. Srinivasan, the after his committee was dissolved by Secretary of the BCCI, Gamini Lokuge, pate in the IPL tournament and partici- pate in the IPL and this year too Sri Lankan board will fall in line with the Lokuge, but the latest attempt is seen the Minister of Sports and Duleep pation of a local team in the Champions Lanka could end up playing fewer Test Indian board on their decision to ban as an effort to convince political hier- Mendis, the CEO of SLC. “We have League tournament starting next year Matches. all players associated with the Indian archy that the former captain is a finalised a ten year agreement with will also give them approximately 45 What the deal effectively means is Cricket League was greeted happily by stumbling block to relationships India today,” Lokuge told the media yes- millions US$ during a ten-year period. that Sri Lanka will not be able to play Srinivasan yesterday, who said, “We between the two neighbouring coun- terday. “Hereby, we agree to release our While the deal looks lucrative for cer- any international cricket during the have received a firm expression of sup- tries. players to the Indian Premier League tain elements that want Arjuna period the Indian Premier League and port from the Sri Lankan board with Ranatunga has publicly said that for the next ten years, we support the Ranatunga out of the system and for a the Champions League tournaments regard to the ICL.” he’s a firm believer that Test cricket Indian board on the ICL issue and we few money hungry players, led by are held, both running for a period of ICL (Indian Cricket League) is a should take precedence over all else, have strengthened our relationships Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lankan crick- two months. The Sri Lankan public are rival league run by Zee Telefilims but at the same time has admitted that with the Indian board,” the Minister et is bound to suffer more than gain set to lose the most with the interna- which involves both the Indian and SLC needs to work closely with the added. from the deal. tional assignments undertaken by the International cricketers. Indian board. Recently, soon after the India has also agreed to play five One- Sri Lanka’s international calendar Sri Lankan team shrinking for the next Last year, SLC decided to allow ICL Mumbai terrorist attacks, he called Day Internationals and a Twenty-20 looks already pale with the country ten years and therefore the agreement players to take part in their domestic Sharad Paward, the immediate past International early next month and the playing only six Test Matches last year, will come as a bitter blow for cricket tournament. But as for the agreement President of the BCCI and a powerful ten year deal is to be signed during the three lesser than even Bangladesh last loving public. to be signed by the two boards, not only Central Government Minister pledg- Twenty-20 International in Colombo. year. A two-Test series against England The deal also provides the Indian that the former greats like Marvan ing Sri Lanka’s unconditional support While India’s tour to Sri Lanka will scheduled for this year was controver- board to effectively dictate terms on the Atapattu and Russel Arnold will not be if the Indian board wanted any assis- bring in millions of television revenue, sially cancelled last year by Lokuge to Sri Lankan board. able to play in any domestic tourna- tance in organising fund raising the agreement to free players to partici- allow the Sri Lankan players to partici- Lokuge’s comment that the Sri ments, they will also be deprived of games. Illangakoon funeral today Mendis under fire after India denies allegations Good bye, In Sri Lankan cricket, they say, Ranatunga comments. “We want to no individual has mastered the art Srinivasan denied the convey that we didn’t discuss any of survival in sports administration internal matters at that meeting. Sri dear friend! than its present CEO Duleep Indian board having Lanka Cricket is as sovereign as the The funeral of Ray Mendis, who has survived a succes- Board of Control for Cricket in Illangakoon, the affable for- sion of various cricket administra- made any anti- India and we do not intend in inter- mer Sri Lanka Cricket tions unscratched. But what looked Ranatunga comments. fering in any internal matters,” he (SLC) Media Manager who to be a very smart move by the for- said. passed away last Monday mer Sri Lanka captain this time, to “We want to convey As there were indictments made following a sudden illness, will be held today (Jan. 14) turn the tide against another for- that we didn’t discuss by Mendis and the local Players’ at St. Thomas’ Church, mer captain and board Chairman Association against Ranatunga, Kotte. Arjuna Ranatunga, could possibly any internal matters at Srinivasan was further quarried as Ray, son of Hyacinth Ray backfire after he was exposed as the to whether India had really told the and the late Eric Illangakoon key figure in the recent conspiracy that meeting. Sri Sri Lankan delegation at the Illangakoon, was a person to undermine Ranatunga. Bangkok meeting that the former who was known among the local media as True that conspiracy is a word Lanka Cricket is as Sri Lankan captain had to be one of the friendliest personalities. He always stood by them, co-operated with that has been used rather loosely in sovereign as the Board removed from his post if negotia- them while building an affectionate rela- the modern Sri Lankan political tions needed to fall back on track. tionship that was rarely seen in any local context where both the government of Control for Cricket But Srinivasan categorically denied sports administration, particularly in one and the opposition are pointing fin- in India and we do not such claims and even apologised if of the most high profile places like SLC. gers at each other only to gain pub- some local officials were trying to Ray’s period at SLC as its Media lic support. But the revelations that intend in interfering in drag the Indian counterparts to ful- Manager (from 2003-05) covered the most came at yesterday’s media briefing fill their motives. controversial time there with the always divisive Thilanga Sumathipala in its hot portrayed Mendis as the main cul- any internal matters,” “We didn’t say anything at all on Duleep Mendis seat. But the sparks of those controversies, prit trying to tarnish Ranatunga’s he said. what’s happening here. SLC is an emanated from the Sumathipala admin, image. (Pic by Saman Abeysiriwardene) independent body and I am sorry if were pruned down to a great extent, when The contents of a communiqué, India (BCCI) denied such claim. something had been made out of the they were reported in the media, due to the distributed by Mendis bearing his Mendis was writing, after a that they never experienced such an meeting,” he further added. cool, genuine, and truthful conduct of Ray. signature within the board and meeting with Srinivasan and the attitude with any SLC Committees Mendis has been under fire for His affable relations with the media con- tinued even after the end of his tenure at reported in the media later depicted IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in which were previously handling the re-negotiating a television deal with the SLC. The image Ray developed for him- Ranatunga as the main stumbling Bangkok where according to him affairs of SLC and in particular Taj TV along with former board self amongst the local media was some- block to any healthy relationship the Indian officials had categorical- were very surprised and concerned Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa thing very rare for anyone in the field. between the Sri Lankan and Indian ly refused any financial support to of the comments made by Chairman without calling for tenders. The Sports media thus loses today a great boards. But at the media briefing the Sri Lankan board allegedly due Mr. Arjuna Ranatunga at different multi million US$ deal also has friend of theirs. held yesterday at the SLC headquar- to certain stances that Ranatunga forums,” Mendis had written. come under a cloud as Dharmadasa The cortege will leave residence at ters, N. Srinivasan, the Secretary of had taken by then. However, Srinivasan denied the negotiated for a period for which he No.79, Jayamangala Mawatha, Nugegoda, at 4 pm for the burial at St.