The decision made by Sri Lanka Cricket and its Selection Committee to get Angelo Mathews to step down as captain is a clear reflection of the crisis that faces Sri Lanka Cricket at the moment. The decision is arbitrary, unjustified and irrational. This shows the shallow and opportunistic outlook of the people who are handling Sri Lanka Cricket.
What we expected and what is prudent was a serious and in-depth study of the reasons for the erosion of the standard of cricket in Sri Lanka and the debacle at the Asia Cup in particular and then to arrive at a rational decision through which the problems faced by the team and the management would be overcome.
Instead those concerned have acted exposing their opportunism by putting the blame on the captain to save their skin. This approach has to be condemned. It is obvious that the deterioration of the standard of cricket in Sri Lanka is due to persons of this calibre being given the task of handling Sri Lanka cricket. We have seen that these individuals are not capable of winning the respect of players and the public.
If Sri Lanka cricket is to come out of this crisis it is of paramount importance that the authorities concerned get rid of persons who handled the game in a manner that is a disgrace to the game. Within our country there are imminent individuals who had handled the game in an exemplary manner and raised the standard of the game to a level that we Sri Lankans were proud of those individuals who sacrificed immensely for the game and are still prepared to help the game of cricket in our country. Persons of the calibre of Roy Dias, Duleep, Ranjan Madugalle, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva are a few names that come to our mind as persons who are honourable with a deep knowledge of the game.
Well-known personalities involved in cricket administration in the past like Michael Tissera, Anura Tennakoon, S Skandakumar and Ana Punchihewa should be given the job instead of keeping in place individuals who go all-out at any cost to keep power for themselves.
From what we have witnessed in the recent past we do not see the present management is interested in any way in restoring our lost prestige. They have proved that they are in capable of such a serious task.
The way the recent issue was handled is ample proof of their capacity.
It is now for the Minister of Sports, the President and the Prime Minister and the Government to take a serious look at what is happening and act fast.
Lal Wijenayake (Attorney-at-Law, Kandy)