Has SLC fallen for Bully-boy Tactics Again?

By Harsha Amarasinghe

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has had its fair share of public disputes with players over the years, but in the recent past, the players have come out victorious courtesy of bully-boy tactics.

Not just cricket, but in all sports the arguments or opposing opinions are quite normal, but more often than not these matters are sorted behind closed doors for the greater good.

However, there have been occasions in which the arguments about the player vs management or administration wars were quite public, but usually these fights do not end in favour of the player.

Yaya Toure versus Pep Guardiola fall-out was a famous one. Toure, arguably one of the greatest ever African footballers, once stunned the world of football during an interview when he staggeringly questioned if him being 'black' was the reason behind Guardiola leaving him on the bench. The duo has had the opportunity to work together at both Barcelona and Manchester City but the former Ivory Coast captain was reduced to be a bit part player under the Spanish maestro.

There were also scenarios in which the player power has got the better of management or administration with the sacking of Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino being a very recent example. The former Tottenham Hotspurs manager was a dead-man-walking from the moment he opted to substitute his star player Leo Messi while the team was losing.

Sri Lanka sports itself has seen many such incidents, but in the recent past, it would be fair to say that SLC has been bullied by the players. Bhanuka Rajapaksa has had his problems with fitness and hence was forced out of the side for such a long time having failed to make the cut in terms of fitness. The former Royalist then slammed the whole coaching staff as well as the SLC, everyone felt that would be the end of roads for the left hander, but then he was back in the national team within weeks.

Rajapaksa then has had another dispute with the national selectors after tightening the fitness requirements, and he then decided to retire from cricket out of the blue – only for then Minister of Sports, Namal Rajapaksa to interfere and change his mind – the hard hitter was once again picked for the national team.

Kusal Janith Perera, fondly known as KJP within the Sri Lankan cricket fans is the latest episode. The player appears to have leaked details with regard to his ongoing issues with SLC over the funds to carry-out his surgery. Following the media reports, the SLC has also issued a statement about their side of story and how Perera has not followed the plan they had prepared for his recovery in order to have him available for the Asia Cup and World Cup.

Perera may have had his reasons for the current situation, at the end of day, one cannot deny the fact that he got injured while representing the country, but by going public, the player has started an unnecessary war with the administration.