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Ex-Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake regrets he lapsed
ADMITS FAILURE TO ALLOW NISHANTHA RANATUNGA BE ELECTED SLC PRESIDENT AFTER SRI LANKA ENTERED FIVE FINALS WHEN HE SERVED AS SECRETARY FROM 2009 TO 2015
Mar.03 (Mirror Sports) - Former Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake says he made a big mistake of not allowing Nishantha Ranatunga to win the presidency at the election of office bearers of Sri Lanka Cricket and instead appointed an Interim Committee in 2015.
He made the statement on his Social media platform that has caused more heads to turn in the aftermath of a disastrous showing by the Sri Lanka team at the on-going T20 World Cup that has brought forth public outrage and protests.
“In 2015 as the Sports Minister I had a choice to make, to go ahead with the election or appoint an Interim Committee. My primary objective was to appoint a set of people who will work with clean hands for the betterment of cricket.
“Despite advice to the contrary that I should have an election as the ICC would not approve it (Interim Committee), I went ahead and appointed an IC and then negotiated with the ICC to give it two years to make the necessary changes.
“Dayasiri Jayasekera (Sports Minister) came and changed all that and the rot set in again. When I look back on that decision I have one regret and that is that Nishantha Ranatunga was aggrieved by my decision. Nishantha worked silently for Sri Lanka cricket as administrator and the successes of the period 2009-2015 were a result of the silent work he did.
“In hindsight I should have backed Nishantha, ensured he won the election without any problems with the ICC. The political environment at that time did not allow me to do this. I don’t think any Sports Minister will appoint an IC again as the ICC controlled by India will oppose it”, said Dissanayake looking back.
For the record Nishantha Ranatunga was a successful secretary to three presidents of Sri Lanka Cricket from 2009 to 2015 serving first with Interim Committee president DS de Silva (2009 to 2011), Upali Dharmadasa (2011 to 2012) and Jayantha Dharmadasa (2013 to 2015), on the last two occasions through an election.
During the three stints of Ranatunga as secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, the team reached five World Cup finals, winning two. The first was runners-up at the 2009 T20 World Cup in England, the second 50 over World Cup runners-up to India in India in 2011, the third runners-up at the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2012, the fourth winners of the T20 World Cup in 2014 and the fifth Champions at the Asia Cup in 2014.
Nishantha Ranatunga was poised to become the undisputed and justified elected president of Sri Lanka Cricket in 2015 when Navin Dissanayake, the then Sports Minister, cancelled the election and appointed an Interim Committee at a time both administrator and player were well received by cricket followers.
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