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by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka Cricket has played down the ongoing pay crisis with national cricketers, telling us that everything will be tickety-boo after the Bangladesh series as they are currently negotiating with the players. But the fact remains that the players refused to sign the contracts and many of them are angry at the suggested pay cut. The new contracts are so flawed that some players would be forced to go through 200% pay cuts.

No doubt these are testing times as SLC has rightly pointed out. The board’s finances have suffered major losses due to the pandemic. But if there’s going to be a pay cut, let it begin from the top. The CEO’s salary of Rs. 1.8 million a month has not been slashed. But he wants players to take a pay cut. The CEO is not covering himself in glory these days as we witnessed during the COPE hearing recently.

In fact, the CEO’s salary has tripled in the last five years. In that scenario, there’s no rationale in asking the players to get a pay cut while the head of the organization enjoys his perks. It is very easy to say that this was a suggestion from one of the sub committees and pass the buck. But the CEO has been in that position for a decade now and before that as Director Cricket Operations for a considerable time. He should have given a piece of his mind to whoever the mastermind, who wasn’t thinking clearly in drafting the contract.

If the proposed contracts go through, Suranga Lakmal, a former captain and a respected senior player, would be earning an annual retainer worth around US$ 45,000, which is close to Rs. nine million. The CEO, at the same time would be earning over Rs. 21 million. How can that be fair? Whoever who prepared this contract is prejudiced.

Apart from a significant reduction in the annual retainers, the seniority payment too has been completely taken off. The mastermind who drafted these contracts is said to be a former captain, who in his prime earned as much as Rs. 100 million annually from SLC. When the board wanted this amount reduced, he had a bone to pick with the administration and together with his crooked agent, who ran a cricket website, sought political intervention. Time was when some of our captains spent more time at Temple Trees than the time they spent at the crease. Literally, they were asking for the pound of flesh and had it their way.

The board’s counter argument then was that they wanted a fair share of revenue go to domestic cricketers in order stop the brain drain as professional cricketers were regularly traveling to England and Australia to earn a living. SLC failed miserably. Senior players were powerful.

Now the roles have been reversed. Since the mastermind is in administration currently, he feels domestic cricketers need to be looked after and hell with elite players. The poacher turned gamekeeper should not be allowed to get away with his ill-advised policies. Let him take his dumb, nonsensical and undiplomatic policies elsewhere.  

The players are up in arms. They are contractually bound to remain silent or else all hell would have broken loose by now as the recommended pay structure has taken things back to what it was 20 years ago.

Having said all these, it must be mentioned that players did need a shake up. The conduct of some of them in recent years has been unbecoming of professional sportsmen. Take the two kilometer run for example, which they are supposed to run in eight minutes and 30 seconds. Look at how many of them fail this basic drill. Or the skin-fold test, which you can pass with bit of discipline in your food intake and social life. Someone who is as young as Avishka Fernando, who has got a huge future ahead of himself, failing a simple fitness tests is awful.

Then there are allegations of players teaming up with trainers and physiotherapists and submitting false fitness reports. No wonder the ICC has categorized Sri Lanka as the most corrupt nation in cricket. Rarely a month passes without us hearing Sri Lankan cricketers either being charged for drunk driving, knocking someone on the road or being involved in a fight (some fights are now fought in social media). The new contracts ensure that players get penalized substantially if their conduct is not up to the mark.

Discipline is a must in all walks of life. So whilst retaining aspects such as minimum fitness standards and conduct of players in public, the pay cut that has no rationale needs to be reviewed.

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Sri Lanka have thrown their weight behind under-fire skipper Charith Asalanka, trusting him to steady the ship and take the side through to the T20 World Cup that the island will co-host with India. Asalanka had been entrusted with the captaincy for the ongoing white-ball series in Pakistan but was withdrawn on the eve of the T20Is after Sri Lanka copped a 3-0 thumping in the ODIs.

The official line was that the captain — who flew home with fast bowler Asitha Fernando — was unwell. But those in the inner ring felt there was more to this early departure than a flu.

Asalanka, along with several seniors, had pushed to call off the Pakistan tour after a bomb blast in Islamabad rattled the dressing room. Even with VVIP security assurances from the Pakistan government, the players stood their ground. At the eleventh hour, they reversed course when Sri Lanka Cricket refused to be bounced out of the tour and lined up replacements to be flown in. It was a captain’s challenge off the pitch and a reminder that leadership often requires playing on a sticky wicket.

Heading into the tour, the left-hander was already feeling the heat. He remains Sri Lanka’s lone representative in the ICC’s top-ten ODI batting list, but his returns in T20 cricket have been scratchy and during the recent Asia Cup his captaincy — particularly his bowling changes — left plenty to be desired.

There were also hints of a looming change when the selectors named former skipper Dasun Shanaka as Asalanka’s deputy for the T20 squad while pointedly avoiding a vice-captain for the ODI side. It looked the writing was on the wall and many expected Shanaka to shepherd the side into the World Cup.

But Sri Lanka’s stuttering form in the ongoing tri-nation T20 series — where they are flirting with the prospect of not even reaching the final — has sparked debate about the wisdom of a late captaincy reshuffle. With the World Cup only a flick of the wrist away, chopping and changing seemed a step in the wrong direction.

Chairman of Selectors Upul Tharanga has since offered the clearest signal yet that Asalanka will reclaim the armband.

“Dasun was only appointed as acting captain. We groomed Charith for the job and ahead of a World Cup, we can’t be making too many changes. One concern is that Charith hasn’t been among the runs in T20s, but he has experience and remains a vital member of the side,” Tharanga said, dead-batting the speculation.

Tharanga’s selection committee, whose two-year term ends in December, is expected to receive an extension at least until the World Cup. Under their watch, players have been given long enough spells to find their feet and Sri Lanka have shown steady improvement in Tests and ODIs, even if T20 cricket continues to be their problem child.

“T20 is a format we’ve struggled in. Consistency is the key — that’s where we’ve been short. Home advantage will matter during the World Cup and we’ll be looking closely at a few areas,” Tharanga added.

Sri Lanka are grouped alongside Australia, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe in Group B and should qualify for the second round.

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Sansa Jayawardena and Lisa Li were selected as the Year 7-8 Girls’ Age Group champions at the Inter-House Athletics Meet of the British School in Colombo (BSC) held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama recently.

Sansa played a dominant role at the meet and also helped Nobel House to clinch the overall championship with an aggregate of 1,099 points.

Shakespeare House emerged as the runners-up with a tally of 906 points while Scott House (830) and Newton House (676) secured third and fourth place respectively.

Age Group Champions:

Year 7-8 Girls’:

Sansa Jayawardena (Nobel) and Lisa Li (Shakespeare).

Year 7-8 Boys’:

Aric Seneviratne (Nobel) and Neven Munasinghe (Scott).

Year 9-10 Girls’:

Senuli Gamage (Newton).

Year 9-10 Boys’:

Duleen Gunewardena (Nobel).

Year 11-13 Girls’:

Mehara Dodanwela (Shakespeare).

Year 11-13 Boys’:

Nathan Samuel (Shakespeare).

The passing of the legendary athletics coach K. L. F. Wijedasa this month at the age of 93, received wide coverage in both the press and social media. Fondly called “Sir,” he was admired not only by generations of his students but also by many who worked alongside him in various sports associations. His dignified presence and exemplary character earned him the reputation of being a gentleman of par excellence.

Mr. Wijedasa held several prestigious positions in Sri Lankan athletics, including National Athletics Coach, Chairman of the National Athletics Selection Committee, and Asian Athletics Technical Officer. He also served as the Director of Physical Education at the University of Colombo.

I first met Wijedasa Sir in 1976, when I entered the University of Colombo (then the University of Sri Lanka – Colombo Campus). Coming from Isipathana College, a school renowned for rugby, and having represented the College 1st XV and Colombo Schools, my ambition besides completing my Science degree was to represent the University in rugby.

On my first day at the University Grounds, I noticed some undergraduates training in athletics and joined them in a casual 100-meter run. A gentleman observing from a distance approached me with a warm smile and asked, “Hey man, where have you come from?” He pointed out that I could improve my timing by relaxing my running style. I did not know at that moment who he was and only later learned that he was the Director of Physical Education and a highly respected national athletics coach.

His friendly manner, sincerity and trademark warm smile left a lasting impression. Despite the age difference between him and the students, he had the rare ability to be both a revered mentor and a trusted friend. The simple advice he gave me that day helped me win the sprint doubles at the Freshers’ Meet, the Faculty Meets and later at the Inter Universities Athletic-Meets. His influence helped me achieve much more than I initially expected, representing University Teams in Rugby, Athletics, Hockey and Rowing.

Under his leadership, the Physical Education Department created a warm, harmonious sporting environment that enriched the university experience of countless undergraduates. My association with him deepened when I was elected President of the University of Colombo Amalgamated Club for 1978/79. One of my earliest lessons in office administration came directly from him.

When I was appointed, he told me light-heartedly, “Sera, you will now be a joint signatory to the cheques.” Wanting first to understand existing systems, I expressed this to him. He not only guided me through every detail but also welcomed improvements suggested by us and by my accounting-savvy batchmates. His humility and openness to learn even from his own students were traits that set him apart.

During my tenure as President of Amalgamated Club, he was awarded a scholarship by a reputed university in Western Australia to pursue a Master’s degree in Physical Education and Sports Science. He spent almost the entire year of 1979 abroad. While he was away, I worked closely with the staff of the Physical Education Department, keeping him informed through airmail letters, many of which I still treasure. His replies always offered guidance and encouragement.

Looking back, the time I spent at the University Grounds and the PE Department – far more than in lecture halls – instilled in me leadership and administrative skills that became invaluable in my later business career. His staff, including the Late Mr. U. D. Wickramanayake, Miss Daya, and the groundsmen Piyasena and Peter who served with loyalty and dedication.

Even during periods of student unrest, funding for sports activities was always approved by the then Vice Chancellor, the late Prof. Stanley Wijesundera, who trusted Wijedasa Sir’s integrity and judgment.

Those years saw the University Grounds bustling with activity, with men and women engaged simultaneously in athletics, rugby, cricket, hockey, basketball, netball, volleyball and wrestling. Outstanding athletes trained under him, adding further colour to the grounds. Among them were Asian Gold Medalist Kosala Sahabandu and Royalists Ravi Widyalankara and Chrishantha Ferdinando along with several talented young sportswomen from leading schools. His wife Mrs. Ransiri Wijedasa, herself a former Ceylon 100-yard record holder and their two young children were frequent visitors to the grounds.

Two remarkable academic personalities regularly cycled to the University – Professor Valentine Joseph, the brilliant mathematician and Wijedasa Sir himself, who rode daily from his home on Visaka Road. Their humility and simplicity earned admiration from both staff and students.

Upon completing my degree, the Character Certificate issued by him played an important role in helping me secure final interviews at two leading companies, Unilever and Chemical Industries Colombo Ltd (CIC). I joined CIC in early 1980, a key step in my eventual business career.

For decades, I continued to visit him regularly at his home on Lauries Road. Even in his nineties, his memory remained crystal clear. He could recall, with remarkable accuracy, hundreds of students from various faculties who were involved in sports during his long years of service.

My last visit with my wife Nirmala was in October 2025. During that visit, he and Mrs. Wijedasa said they had contacted Susanthika Jayasinghe, now residing in Australia, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of her historic Olympic achievement. Sir lamented that it was unfortunate the national authorities had forgotten this milestone. His deep sense of responsibility toward Sri Lankan athletics remained with him until the very end.

Wijedasa Sir may no longer be with us, but the values he upheld, the lessons he taught, and the countless lives he touched will continue to inspire generations. To his students, colleagues and all who knew him, his memory remains a cherished treasure.

May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Anura Serasingha
Colombo 08.