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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kaushala1988" data-source="post: 10592066" data-attributes="member: 137855">Sangakkara's challenge to cricket                 His speech at Lord's should serve as a wake-up call to administrators to use the game to serve people, and not for selfish gains        <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/522022.html#" target="_blank">Peter Roebuck</a>       July 5, 2011DAN SUDDA APE CRICKET DAKINNE ZIMBABWE MATTAMEN...E MADIWATA CHANEL 4 EKENUTH PENAWALU LANKAWE THATHWE....LANKAWA DUSHITHA RATAKLU...SANGAKKARAGE KATHAWEN E BAWA OPPU  WENAWALU.....<img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/baffled.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":baffled:" title="Baffled    :baffled:" data-shortname=":baffled:" />   ME THIYENNE SANGAKKARA GE KATHAWA GANA ESPN EKATA SUDDEK LIYAPU LIPIYAK....KIYAWALA BALALAMA COMMENT EKAK DAANNAKOO.....<img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/no.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":no:" title="No    :no:" data-shortname=":no:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/no.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":no:" title="No    :no:" data-shortname=":no:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/no.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":no:" title="No    :no:" data-shortname=":no:" /><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/no.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":no:" title="No    :no:" data-shortname=":no:" />suddo sanga ge kathawata waradi arthakathanayak denna hadanawa wage....                         <img src="http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/129500/129559.2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />            Sangakkara's attack on Sri Lanka's cricket administration was not prompted by personal agenda but by concern for the game     © Getty Images             Enlarge                                                        <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50710.html" target="_blank">Kumar Sangakkara</a> has made the <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/521971.html" target="_blank">most important speech</a>  in cricket history. Brushing aside the twin temptations of romance and  sentiment, the erudite Sri Lankan has dared to confront the truths about  cricket in his country. Along the way he struck many meaty blows on the  game's behalf. His discourse was nothing less than a challenge to  cricket to set higher standards for itself, to reject jealousy,  pettiness and greed, and to become part of the enlightenment.   Both cricket and Sri Lanka deserve better from the governors. Alas, the  worst remain in office in so many places, with Ijaz Butt running amok in  Pakistan; Givemore Makoni, with terrible inevitability, returning to  official ranks in benighted and betrayed Zimbabwe; Gerald Majola still  in charge in South Africa; and a mixture of government lackeys and  bookmaking families running the show in Sri Lanka. Nor is there any  reason to retain faith in Giles Clarke, England's puffed-up principal,  or Australia's Jack Clarke, whose limitations have been exposed often  enough.   Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's second-best cricketer, has never scored a  hundred at Lord's, but his lecture can be put alongside the finest  innings played on the ground.  Actually it was not so much a speech as a  plea for proper governance. Nor was it motivated by the darker forces  observed in lesser men. Like the rest of us, Sangakkara is no saint, but  his denunciation of the controlling forces at home spoke of frustration  not ambition, affection not scorn, contribution not calculation. Its  value lies in its very independence   That Sangakkara is a man of substance has long been known. Not long ago  he visited a school in the north-east of the country, and spoke movingly  about the need for all Lankans, Sinhalese and Tamils, to work together.  It was a timely gesture because the government had recently banned the  Tamil version of the national anthem. Likewise it prevented outside  scrutiny of the allegations of executions, rapes and other abuses in the  last months of the civil war. Channel 4's devastating exposé has put  that back on the table. Sri Lanka is listed as one of the five most  dangerous countries in which to work as a journalist.    As Sangakkara observes, Sri Lanka's cricket troubles began in the 1996,  the year the World Cup was won. In the wrong hands success can be as  damaging as failure. Hitherto the board had been run by benevolent and  capable gentlemen from the old school. None had a finger in the pie,  none needed the money, and all accepted stringent codes of conduct. In  short, they were men of integrity. Over the years I have not spent much  time siding with the "establishment" (itself a glib word) but these were  men of honesty and honour, and I took their side in the subsequent  struggles. The reason was simple: they were right. Accordingly I  presented their case in a column in the Sunday Leader, a fearless newspaper whose fearless editor, also a friend, was assassinated.   Success attracted the charlatans as light attracts moths. A new guard  realised there was money to be made in cricket. Thilanga Sumathipala  appeared on the scene, looking not unlike Napoleon - an energetic man  versed in the arts and crafts of manipulation, and with strong  connections with the bookmaking fraternity (a custom that continues in  the current administration). Inevitably the unscrupulous and  opportunistic sided with him. He had the drive of new money, the  ambition of the upstart. It was easy to see the attraction. He was  ruthless too, and swiftly manoeuvred himself into power by persuading  the majority of the 72 voting clubs to support him. That many of these  clubs existed only in name did not deter him or his impatient backers.                      Sangakkara has once again served Sri Lankan cricket with distinction.  Only those with empires to protect will resent his words. Only those  blighted with the curse of nationalism will deny him his voice. He spoke  as a patriot, a higher calling altogether                   Ever since, Sri Lankan cricket has been in turmoil. Indeed, it's been a  shambles. In the last few months alone the board has been burdened with  huge legal bills, allegations about malpractice in World Cup ticket  allocations, allegations about cronyism in appointments, threats of  bankruptcy as World Cup costs spiralled out of control, and posturing  from a sports minister apparently intent on provoking the Indians and  thereby supposedly scoring points with the masses. That the minister  concerned was promptly removed from office was little consolation. His  outburst lacked gravitas. Unsurprisingly the Indians, the IPL franchises  and senior players ignored him.   If the ICC is serious about tackling corruption and stopping political  interference in cricketing matters, it could start by sending a working  party to Sri Lanka with the task of setting up sustainable democratic  institutions.    Sanath Jayasuriya's selection for the limited-overs matches in England  confirmed that politicians are involved in team operations. It had been a  move long resisted by the team elders on the grounds that he was past  his prime.   Sri Lanka took a bright young team to Australia in October 2010, and  beat the hosts 2-1 in the ODIs. On the surface all seemed well. Behind  the scenes, though, the team management was worried. Jayasuriya had long  since been a liability and they feared he might be imposed upon them,  thereby compromising the team and affecting its morale. It did not  happen, because the incumbents kept winning and the think tank stood its  ground.   But the Jayasuriya issue did not go way. He is a Member of Parliament,  representing the governing party, a ruthless outfit intent on  controlling all the levers of power, and to that end prepared to lock up  the leader of the opposition, a popular soldier responsible for the  final crushing of the LTTE. Arjuna Ranatunga, an opposition MP, took  part in a protest about his leader's imprisonment, whereupon an arrest  warrant was issued. Such are the joys of life in Sri Lanka.    By bringing its strengths and weaknesses to the attention of the wider  public, Sangakkara has once again served Sri Lankan cricket with  distinction. Only those with empires to protect will resent his words.  Only those blighted with the curse of nationalism will deny him his  voice. He spoke as a patriot, a higher calling altogether. Significantly  he raised his concerns on behalf of his people, pointing out that "the  administration needs to adopt the values enshrined by the team over the  years: integrity, transparency, commitment and discipline. Unless it is  capable of becoming more professional, progressive and transparent then  we risk alienating the common man."   Happily, Sangakkara also spoke about cricket's ability to promote  enlightenment, an opportunity so often wasted. Indeed, his criticisms  were directed towards that end. After all he has seen civil war, strife,  greed and selfishness, and wants no more of them. He pointed out that  "cricket played a crucial role during the dark days of civil war… but  the conduct and performance of the team will have even greater  importance as we enter a period of reconciliation and recovery… Cricket  can and should remain a guiding force for good within society, providing  entertainment and fun, but also an example of how we should approach  our lives."    That is the crux of the matter. When cricket falls into the hands of the  narrow-minded it withers. To prevent that it's essential that men like  Sangakkara speak out, and that governing bodies accept their  responsibilities. So much has been accomplished. The Berlin Wall has  fallen, apartheid is gone, the Arab uprising is underway, a Muslim has  played for Australia, and a Tamil has taken 800 Test wickets for his  beloved country. Just that there is a lot more to do. Cricket is  connected with the world and ought not to pretend otherwise.             Peter Roebuck is a former captain of Somerset and the author, most recently, of In It to Win It<a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/rss/content/story/feeds/magazine.xml?author=241" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/storyRSS.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>              Feeds: Peter Roebuck © ESPN EMEA Ltd.</blockquote>

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