Is the ICC if they are honourable enough going to accept 19 players from Sri Lanka on English soil where the World Cup is being held as this will amount to cheating or giving Sri Lanka an unfair advantage over the other nine teams who will send only the authorized 15 players and in the event of injuries, they will have to fly them from their respective countries.
Sri Lanka has been very good at this, doing something that has not happened in the past in all matters whether it is politics or sport.
Then by taking an additional four players the Sri Lankan decision makers will be adding more pressure on the 15-member squad that will be accepted by the ICC meaning they will be forced to play safe fearing that four players who are not part of the official squad will be gazing at them waiting to take their places.
Or in the end will these extra four players have a ‘good time’ in England and return without playing a match like Marvan Atapattu did in the 2007 World Cup even by being part of the 15-member tour party.
The bottom line is that Sri Lanka has proved that its players are gravely vulnerable to injury or have pressed the panic button fearing that some players will not be able to go through the entire World Cup without injuries.
True injuries can happen anytime and anywhere, but Sri Lanka has simply panicked even before the World Cup should start.
On a hilarious note coach Chandika Hathurusinghe was recalled from the tour of South Africa after the big wigs running the sport in Sri Lanka said that he will not have a say in the affairs of the World Cup and that Steve Rixon will be in charge.
Now SLC talks about Hathurusinghe’s Contract and not his capabilities saying that if his services have to be terminated he will have to be compensated. The question is, if Hathurusinghe’s ability to deliver is what is in question then why keep him. SLC might as well pay him and terminate his services.
In any case they will have to pay for keeping him and then having Ashantha de Mel as the head selector and team manager for the World Cup calling the shots. Will Hathurusinghe be a mere sight seer or passenger. Isn’t Sri Lanka incurring more expenses for almost two months by paying for Hathursuinghe’s hotel accommodation and food during the World Cup?
Rohan de Silva
Kalutara