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Ford didn’t agree with my role – Gurusinha

1 August 2017 01:13 pm - 3     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha had denied playing a role in Graham Ford’s early exit from the 45-month contract. Ford resigned soon after the Champions Trophy.

Even though reasons for his exit remain a mystery, many believe the severed relations between Ford and Gurusinha who was placed in charge of cricket with powers superseding those of the head coach was the main reason for Ford’s departure.

“Graham (Ford), from the start, probably didn't agree with my role,” Gurusinha told cricinfo.com. “He thought I was interfering. I thought I wasn't. We did discuss it a lot. I am not sure what he discussed with the SLC president or anything like that.

Long before Gurusinha made his entry into local cricket management, Sri Lanka Cricket appointed Ford as part of their long-term strategy to see the national team through the transition. But a series of mediocre performance saw Sri Lanka Cricket carving out a new position of Cricket Manager.

“My role was always as a team manager and I will give certain ideas. I am the chairman of selectors on tour. At the end of the day, I do make the decision on the team - on the final XI. But in my five months, I've never gone against the captain's decision,” Gurusinha said.

“With the head coach, I wouldn't say I always agree with everything, but I look at the fact that the captain goes to the middle with the team, not me. I have always given the team that the captain wanted. During the Champions Trophy, the final XI, even on things that I didn't agree with, I always went with Angelo Mathews' final decision. He has to go to the middle.

The former Sri Lanka World Cup winning cricketer also denied reports that Ford was being excluded from team meetings.

“No, we didn't have a single meeting without Graham Ford, if it was cricket-related. If it was administration- or security-related, we won't get Ford into those meetings. But anything with cricket or cricket selection, Graham was always there - even though he is not a selector in SLC's selection policy. We always had the vice-captain there as well. It was a team that discussed everything, and I never excluded Graham,” he added.

Gurusinha joined the national team in March as Cricket Manager, having lived his life in exile in Australia since retiring in 1996. He was later added to the selection panel led by Sanath Jayasuriya.

“I'm not involved in day-to-day coaching, but with the team, I do work very closely if there are issues. On tour, I'm the team manager as well. If there is no tour, my role is as cricket manager, where I will work with high performance and look at players whom we can bring into the national team,” he explained.

Also read: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/What-does-it-take-to-make-a-successful-coach-in-Sri-Lanka--132009.html

Watch the Dailymirror Interview with Asanka Gurusinghe - March 2017 


 


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  Comments - 3

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka
  • TONY Tuesday, 01 August 2017 05:56 PM

    AND THE SLC PREFER TO KEEP YOU AND SEND FORD. SURPRISING TO MANAGER OF THE TEAM IN SO MANY NEW CONFERENCES. IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT BEFORE

    Ceylonese Tuesday, 01 August 2017 06:02 PM

    They say too many cooks spoil the soup.

    Aquarius Wednesday, 02 August 2017 06:59 AM

    You WERE a hero in 1996 and went AWOL for decades and came parachuting to join the messy and corrupt SLC and it got more messy and that's the reality.


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Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

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