Arjuna wants new selection committee for SLC

Chairman NSC Arjuna Ranatunga stressing a point to the media

By Susil Premalal

The National Sports Council (NSC) headed by Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga is set to propose to the Sports Minister to appoint only reputed veteran players in their field as members of the respective National Sports Associations (NSA’s) including cricket.   

Ranatunga expressed his dissatisfaction with some of the members of the NSA’s selection committee and urged the authorities to give more priority to some of the former veteran players and to utilise their experience in the respective field.   The former Sri Lanka World Cup winning Cricket Captain also recommended that any vacancy in the NSA selection committee should be advertised in the newspapers before making a new appointment.   Ranatunga made these observations during a media briefing held in Colombo.   

“I am not convinced with the selection committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, and they are yet to name the squad to play against Afghanistan and the Sports Ministry or the NSC is not ready to take up the responsibility,” Ranatunga elaborated.  

Ranatunga said that they had requested from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to submit ten names for the new selection committee but so far, they have not responded.  

Ranatunga also reiterated that the NSC cannot anymore tolerate officials of NSA’s going on overseas joyrides and said that this is totally misusing funds allocated for the development of sports in the country.