Sri Lanka Cricket could be making world history by appointing eight officials to take care of an 11 member cricket team that is not even representing the country or people but for a showbiz tournament in India this month.
The occasion is for the Champions League and the eight officials will be accompanying a team called the Kandurata (Upcountry) Maroons which has only one player in Kumar Sangakkara who is worthy of the team’s name.
The eight officials are Srinath Silva (Manager), Chaminda Vaas (Head Coach), Upul Chandana (Fielding Coach), Arjan Nalliah (Trainer), Sanjeewa Gamage (Physio), Lasantha Jayakody (Masseuer), Ashan De Saram (Computer Analyst) and Chaminda Mendis (Selector).
Analysts say it’s the perfect joy ride or fun tour for any non-player as nobody in Sri Lanka will mind the team losing as it does not concern the country.
In reality 10 of the 11 players who played for the so-called Kandurata team which qualified for the Champions League come from anywhere other than the mountainous region.
The 10 players are Lahiru Thirimanne (Moratuwa), Nuwan Kulasekera (Gampaha), Upul Tharanga (Ambalangoda), Thilina Kandambi (Colombo), Milinda Siriwardena (Kalutara), Dilhara Lokuhettige (Colombo), Dhammika Prasad (Kandana), Ajantha Mendis (Moratuwa), Kaushal Lokuarachchi (Colombo) and Dhananjaya de Silva (Colombo) who team up with the solitary Kandurata player Sangakkara.
Three of the four reserve players Shehan Jayasuriya (Moratuwa), Chamara Silva (Panadura) and Suraj Randiv (Matara) also have no connection to the upcountry except Lahira Jayaratne who was born in Matale.
Meanwhile Sangakkara had what has been described as a “friendly discussion” with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Jayantha Dharmadasa yesterday in the aftermath of a breakdown in relations between the country’s most high-profile cricketer and an administration ridden with nepotism and politics.
Sangakkara stands to lose Rs 18 million as a penalty imposed by his Hyderabad Sunrises Indian club after he was forced to play for the makeshift Kandurata Maroons team in this month’s Champions League.
Last week he accused SLC of handling the issue in an unprofessional way and questioning his loyalty without proof, charges SLC has denied.
