Even as this column is being written, our country is making world headlines for all the wrong reasons once again. This time in the field of cricket. It was only 31 short years ago; on July 21, 1981 to be exact, we were admitted by the International Cricket Council as a full member, and awarded Test cricket status. We became the eighth Test playing nation in the world and played our first Test match against England in Colombo from February 17-21 in 1982.
If it was the skills and hard work of the world cup winning team which finally put Sri Lanka on the world cricketing map, it was the behind-the-scenes work of cricketing administrators like Gaminii Disanayake and the feats and qualities of past cricketing greats such as M. Sathasivam, CI Gunasekera, Gamini Gunasena, Clive Inman, Makin Sally, Abu Fuard and Stanley Jayasinghe which played no small role in helping the country achieve test status in the ‘gentlemen’s game.
A scarce 14 years, after playing our first test series in 1996, the national team captained by Arjuna Ranatunga won the One-Day International (ODI) World Cup trophy beating Australia. It was defining moment in the progression of the game in our country and, as in other cricket-playing nations, led to cricket taking on the status of a national sport.
Prior to winning the World Cup in 1996, be it the national cricket captain or his players, with a few exceptions they made it to practice and back using public transport.
One used to see our dashing opener - the Matara Mauler Sanath Jayasuriya - joining boys playing cricket in the parks of Mt. Lavinia or our champion fast bowler making his way to a particular church at Slave Island using public transport. World Cup winning captain Ranatunga has often recalled travelling to practice by train.
In those days, the umpire’s decision was law and the team captain maintained a tight discipline over his teammates. This was the accepted norm.
Sadly, for the great game of cricket, betting syndicates began seeing in cricket, a chance to make mega bucks. Match-fixing began rising its head and became a hugely profitable business for both players and shady syndicates.
Cricketing business had begun. Big money and indiscipline soon began taking precedence over the status of playing for one’s country.
In 2008 for instance, a number of our national players including the then captain of the then national team, demand the president of the country, have the tour of England planned for 2009 be rescheduled, as the dates clashed with the lucrative Indian Premier League! The players reportedly met then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and urged him to get the tour postponed or played after the IPL.
Mr. Rajapaksa’s spokesman said the President had instructed Sri Lanka’s sports minister to raise this issue when Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee met. The tour of England was called off...!
Players were beginning to see themselves as larger than the game of cricket itself .On another occasion, a senior player sought presidential intervention to get himself included in the team after selectors dropped him. To achieve their personal goals, players willingly invited political interference. A classic case of indiscipline among players.
The latest cricketing scandal which happened in Australia, is a mere progression of indiscipline and swollen egos among players over niceties and norms. It puts in second place the privilege of playing for one’s country. World cup-winning cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga has for a long time been condemning rising indiscipline among players and player attitudes.
In a way, the ‘incident’ and alleged crime committed by a particular player in Australia a few days ago, was a disaster waiting to happen. This player and two of his mates were suspended from playing for breaking discipline during a recent disastrous tour of England. For one reason or the other, the national selectors decided to lift the ban, giving the players an impression they are indispensable.
If cricket in our country is to rise out of the pit into which it has fallen, players need to understand that playing for one’s country is a privilege and not the other way round.
Political meddling in the game needs to be stamped out. The use of pseudo clubs, used as a means to elect particular officials into places of power and authority needs to be eliminated. This needs be done immediately as cricket has a large following of young lads and lasses who look on national players as their idols and tend to follow their example.
The incident in Australia, involving a national player is the worst type of example to young and formative minds.
