By
Vishnuguptha
Cricket, the celebrated game of gentlemen is turning out to be a totally farcical spectacle manipulated and maneuvered by power-brokers and unscrupulous traders of corruption and bribery. The days of glory and glamour seem to have passed; though some spectacular display on the field appears to be continuing both with the willow and the leather by some extraordinary talent and skills of Kumar Sangakkara, T M Dilshan and Rangana Herat and the like though their brilliance is being eclipsed by a sinister game of planning and plotting that is taking place behind the dark curtains of the Cricket Administration Bodies and the Ministry of Sports.
Sri Lanka Cricket could really be proud of some administrators of unimpeachable character and ability. The likes of J R Jayewardene, N M Perera, Robert Senanayake and Gamini Dissanayake, though they were fulltime politicians, controlled and ran the administration of our game of cricket with no political interference whatsoever. The rivalries that existed at that time among Colombo’s leading clubs were severely competitive and healthy but without any ugly interference of the incumbent government. The vibrant environment that was created by those administrators and trainers and coaches of the time put on the field some marvelous brand of cricketers, even though Sri Lanka did not enjoy the same and equal status of ‘Test’ playing countries like England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and India. It produced a Mahadeva Sathasivam, who according to the visiting West Indies Captain Frank Worrell was the best batsman his bowlers had the privilege to bowl to. It produced the swashbuckling batting of C I Gunasekera, the grace of Michael Tissera and the impeccable technique of Derek de Saram and the patience of Sargo Jayawickrama.
After Sri Lanka gained ‘Test’ status, it kept on producing some dazzling talents in the caliber of Arjuna Ranatunge, Sidath Wettimuni, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayewardene. Among these recent talents, Mutthiah Muralidharan stands alone as the leading wicket taker in the world- a stupendous record which might stand the test of time.
In all stages of the history of our cricket, politics did make an attempt, every now and then, to invade into the playing field. Yet the administrators and the Governments at the time managed to draw the line and tell the politicians, thus far and no further. And they listened, for the administrators at the time had what today’s ‘supra-bureaucrats’ of the game miserably lack- guts and courage and an unmitigated love for the game. They chose to play cricket in the spirit in which this game was invented to be played. When the giants, J R, N M, Robert and Gamini departed from the administration of the game, those ‘half-past-two-thirty’ minions took over the game and despite having some of the best cricketing talents in the game today, seem to be awkwardly faltering from one woeful blunder to another. The pace of this decline seems to have accelerated from the time the present political administration took over the reins of power, trying to overwhelm and overshadow the entire body-politic of the country.
In their crude desire to control every aspect of life of every man, woman and child of Sri Lanka, the current regime has handed the administration of the game to these “half-past-two-thirty” politicos and their sycophants and bootlickers. The dangers in such mal-administration are manifesting themselves in the various corners of the globe. The inherent deficiencies, prejudices and mismanagement would undoubtedly create some serious setbacks from within but we must be even more vigilant about what props up on the international stage. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s ultra-chauvinistic tantrums are not taking place in isolation. They are a clear reflection of the current regime’s failures on the fields of ethnic reconciliation and also of the influence the fringe elements who seem to influence the ruling clan’s mindset.
The irrational sense of triumphalism of the ‘war-victory’ against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam has created its own chain of events and counter-events over which the Sri Lanka Government has no control. The Government failed totally in its attempt to submit any plausible answer to the most relentless questions hurled at them by the United Nations community and they came up empty.
Government’s plate is full; the unfortunate thing is it is full of muck, dirt and debris. India, who should be our closest ally has become one of the ’unfriendly’ players on the field; The United States seems to be hell-bent on persecuting Sri Lanka with a new sense of vigor and urge, the once-friendly Soviet Union is now dead; the Eastern European Socialist bloc too is gone forever and becoming ever so dependent on America and the West. The so-called ‘rogue-states’ have become our friends but they too are cautious and guarded in their commitment, if any is expected.
On such a forlorn field Jayalalitha, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu engages herself in venomous and bitter politics, fanning the base-urges of her people. To cap it all, another enigmatic organization that emerged recently, calling itself in many an ear-catching name, is betrothed in rousing a dormant devil within man and launched itself into a frenzied anti-Muslim battle-cry. In the context of this irrational crusade of the ‘Senas’ (armies), it is heartening to find out the leading Muslim in the Government coalition, Minister of Justice, Hakeem seems to have awoken from his slumber and called for a Cabinet Meeting to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in the country. But one wonders whether it’s too little too late now.
The anti-Muslim anger created by the recent events has not yet reached a boiling point but it’s simmering. It’s being accompanied by other events that are showing the potential of equal or surpassing results.The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has called on Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to reverse the impeachment and replacement of CJ Shirani Bandaranayake. The just-concluded United Nations Human Rights Commission session adopted a resolution urging the Sri Lankan Government to take some definitive measures that would hopefully lead to reconciliation and peace with the Tamils in the North and East. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is not only issuing orders to her State machinery, she is issuing ultimatums to her Union Government and has taken action to bar the Sri Lanka cricketers from taking part in the games that are scheduled to be played in her State of Tamil Nadu.
Into this mix has fallen our Minister of Sports; he and his comrades-in-arms have disqualified two nominees for the Board of Control for Cricket and placed the destinies of this great game of ours in the hands of another businessman, whom nobody knows has held a bat in his hand. In the meantime the cricketers themselves are reported to have decided to take part in the famous Indian Premier League T/20 Cricket Tournament. The game is being toyed with by unscrupulous vendors and merchants whose sole trade-in-stock is close affinity to the powers that be.
In modern day politics sports has taken a total different route from that of yesteryear. The game is played to satisfy the bookmakers more than the ardent spectators who spend money and time to watch the game. Players are being accused and found guilty of ‘fixing’ matches to enrich the pockets of casino owners and corrupt politicians and administrators. One has to be astute in politics and honest in his dealings to tackle such a crisis-ridden industry. Looking at the talent that is available off the field, it does not augur well for our game. Politicians have corrupted it; the administrators have mucked it up and the spectators are dumbfounded. Only the players seem to be playing the game, but there too some significant few. They must realize that they are not representing the Government of Sri Lanka. They are the representatives of our country, our values, our social fabric, our history, our heritage, the entire phenomenon of Sri Lanka. So don’t let us down. If you do, as an old friend of mine once used to say, it’s not cricket!