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The inside story of postponement of SLC election

Written by N Krishnamurthy

Ever since the CEO Ashley De Silva and country’s Sports Ministry came to know that Thilanga Sumathipala is no more eligible to contest, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) elections are mysteriously getting postponed over and over again.

Cricket Age had published on December 11 itself that SLC election has been postponed indefinitely.

On further inquiry, Cricket Age has learnt some shocking facts. After the appointment of election committee and publishing the gazette recently, some irregularities have been created deliberately by the interested parties in order to postponed the election.

Here are some irregularities, that we’re created deliberately :

Calling nominations only for office bearers : The election committee called for the nominations only for the office bearers. The committee deliberately didn’t call the nominations for umpires committee and tournament committee. According to SLC constitution, the appointment of the these special committees also take place during the AGM.

Absence of appeal committee : If any of the nomminnee has disagreement with any point of election roadmap or guidelines presented by the election committee, he could go to appeal committee. But, hilariously, the former Sports Minister Faizer Mustapha didn’t appoint an appeal committee either, even though he has served as the counselor of country’s president! According to country’s Sports Law, election can’t be held without Appeal committee.

Absence of Sports Minister : The most hilarious thing is that there is no Sports Minister in Sri Lanka at the moment, as the Court of appeal has curtailed the government! Without Sports Minister, election will not take place!

More shockingly, It seems that some ‘unseen powers’ put all these hurdles deliberately to postponed the election. And on their instructions, SLC CEO Ashley De Silva is acting like a puppet. The SLC has been functioning since over four decades, but now Ashley De Silva is acting like he doesn’t know the process of holding the election!

Further, Cricket Age understands that the three members election committee is unbiased and proficient in understanding the country’s Sports law. But, to held the SLC election, they needs proper guidance from the board officials. Ashley De Silva made sure that they would not get any assistance, in order to safeguard ‘unseen powers’ interest. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already given the 9th fabruray deadline to SLC to conduct the election, otherwise the governing body will cancel SLC membership. For Ashley De Silva, the interest of these ‘unseen powers’ are more important than the future of Sri Lanka cricket!

Moreover, the postponement of SLC election also proves the incompetent of Sports Ministry and raise several questions about it’s intentions. Faizer Mustapha had been appointed Sports Minister in April. Since then he did nothing to bring SLC on track. So, yet again, the SLC election has been postponed!

 

About the author

N Krishnamurthy