BCCI has always been supportive

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga says IPL is a brilliant product and Lankans players have profited from it.

Thanks to the Indian Premier League, Sri Lankan Cricket seems to have been caught on a sticky wicket. With the government-appointed SLC suddenly asking its top players to return from the IPL and prepare for the England tour in May, the relationship with BCCI is on the boil for sure. Unconfirmed reports say SLC members are trying to convince the ministry to let Kumar Sangakkara and Company complete their IPL assignment, but the Lankan sports minister may not relent.

Unlike the BCCI, Sri Lankan cricket is very much in the grips of the government. The interim committee, chaired by former cricketer D.S. De Silva, was appointed by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in April 2009. A member of the famous Ranatunga clan, 44-year-old marketing professional and former Lankan player Nishantha Ranatunga, spoke to www.espnstar.com in Colombo recently.

Excerpts:

 

Soumitra Bose: Almost two years in the hotseat of Sri Lankan cricket, how has the experience been?

Nishantha Ranatunga: Well, it was baptism of fire because of the terror attack on our players in Lahore. We had just been appointed and the shooting incident took us by storm. It was a tall order to emerge from the trauma. But with support from the government and the President, we managed to handle the situation. It was a horrible experience for the players and their families, it was a psychological ordeal but we finally emerged from the painful crisis. Today, we have co-hosted the World Cup with India and Bangladesh and we have done a reasonable job. But there is a lot of scope for improvement.

SB: What is the scope for an interim committee that is remote controlled by the government?

Nothing is permanent in life. Cricket administration is something like that. We are a committee consisting of ex-players who have been at various levels of governance. As a cricketing nation, we have to do well in our international assignments and as the SLC we have to provide a support system. Our idea is to create as many professional players as possible and we are achieving what we set out to do.

SB: Can you share some details of SLC’s plans?

NS: Eighty to 85 per cent of our cricketers some from Colombo. We wanted to explore the talent available in the entire country. I am sure if we look around, there will be at least two more Arjuna Ranatungas, two more Mahela Jayawardenes, and one more Muralitharan and so on. We have provided contracts to 100 cricketers across the country, including the national players. When we set out in April 2009, we had 24 contracted players. Within a month, it was 75 and by 2010, we have 100. There is great potential and we have divided the players into five-six scales to ensure that they play cricket and forget the financial worries. We have an annual pool of (Lankan) Rupees 300 million (1USD = Rupees 108 Lankan) for those contracted. The results should come.

SB: How do these players represent their respective zones?

NS: We have nine provinces and Provincial cricket is the way forward for Sri Lanka. Seven provinces are actively playing all formats of the game and soon we will have all nine playing. This will ensure we have a continuous stream of players, not just from Colombo.

SB: Sri Lanka are one of the superpowers in the cricketing world. How does that affect the country’s economy?

NS: Our cricket certainly has attracted the world’s attention. We hosted the Asia Cup in 2010, co-hosted the World Cup this year and the 2012 T20 World Cup will also be in Sri Lanka. This shows ICC is happy to give us responsibility. Effectively, we want to promote sports tourism so that the economy benefits. Not just cricket, but all kinds of sports. I think sports and Sri Lanka’s natural beauty can combine very well commercially.

SB: Has SLC ever felt bullied by a superpower cricket Board like the BCCI?

NS: No, never. India have always been supportive and the two Boards have worked well together. There is no reason to feel bullied as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan need to support each other to help cricket grow.

SB: What are your thoughts on the IPL?

NS: It’s a brilliant product. There are a dozen players who have played in it and I think the concept is excellent. IPL exposes players to international competition and also helps them financially. If a balance can be struck in terms of matches and the calendar, IPL is good idea.

SB: Any plans for an IPL-like tournament in Sri Lanka?

NS: Not quite. We will like to focus on our Provincial cricket because that’s the path for development. We have got our ex-players to support the system and guys like Romesh Kaluwitharana and Upul Chandana are full-time coaches now. We want to fine tune our process as we go along.