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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kyc" data-source="post: 10546648" data-attributes="member: 148821">In an extraordinary address at the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord's, <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/50710.html" target="_blank">Kumar Sangakkara</a>  has launched a scathing attack on the "partisan cronies" at Sri Lanka  Cricket who blight the sport in his country, and who led him to resign  the captaincy after only two years in charge, in the wake of the World  Cup final in April.In an hour-long speech that earned him a standing ovation, Sangakkara  charted the unique history of cricket in his country, and called on Sri  Lanka Cricket to root out its corrupt practices, and recognise the huge  role that the sport now needs to play in promoting reconciliation at the  end of a 30-year civil war. Sangakkara pinpointed the country's most powerful moment of national  unity - the World Cup final victory over Australia in 1996 - as the  moment that the sport's administration changed "from a volunteer-led  organisation run by well-meaning men of integrity into a  multimillion-dollar organisation that has been in turmoil ever since." The current tour of England has been dogged by controversy ever since  Sanath Jayasuriya, now an MP with the ruling UPFA party, was recalled at  the age of 41 to play in the one-off Twenty20 and the first ODI at The  Oval, despite having been out of the side for nearly two years. Without  naming names, Sangakkara voiced his concern at the direction the sport  in his country is now heading.  "Players from within the team itself became involved in power games  within the board," he said. "Officials elected to power in this way in  turn manipulated player loyalty to achieve their own ends. At times  board politics would spill over into the team causing rift, ill feeling  and distrust."  "Accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of  conduct were lost in a mad power struggle that would leave Sri Lankan  cricket with no consistent and clear administration. Presidents and  elected executive committees would come and go; government-picked  interim committees would be appointed and dissolved."   Last week, Sri Lanka's sports minister announced that the entire  national cricket board committee would be forced to step down, following  allegations of financial mismanagement that left the co-hosts of the  recent World Cup with a $69 million bill. That announcement followed the  ICC meeting in Hong Kong, at which a directive was issued, stating that  cricket boards had to be free of political interference by June 2013,  or face the prospect of sanctions.   "After 1996 the cricket board has been controlled and administered by a  handful of well-meaning individuals either personally or by proxy  rotated in and out depending on appointment or election," said  Sangakkara. "Unfortunately to consolidate and perpetuate their power  they opened the door of the administration to partisan cronies that  would lead to corruption and wonton waste of cricket board finances and  resources.   "It was and still is confusing. Accusations of vote buying and rigging,  player interference due to lobbying from each side and even violence at  the AGMs, including the brandishing of weapons and ugly fist fights,  have characterised cricket board elections for as long as I can  remember.  "We have to aspire to better administration. The administration needs to  adopt the same values enshrined by the team over the years: integrity,  transparency, commitment and discipline.  "Unless the administration is capable of becoming more professional,  forward-thinking and transparent then we risk alienating the common man.  Indeed, this is already happening. Loyal fans are becoming increasingly  disillusioned. This is very dangerous because it is not the  administrators or players that sustain the game - it is the  cricket-loving public. It is their passion that powers cricket and if  they turn their backs on cricket then the whole system will come  crashing down."  Crucially for the future of Sri Lanka, that public consists of  supporters from both sides of the bloody civil war that was finally  concluded last year. However, as has been seen by the numerous Tamil  protestors who have made their presence known during the current Test  and ODI series, there is a danger that the current state of the sport  will breed disenchantment rather than foster unity.   "Cricket played a crucial role during the dark days of Sri Lanka's civil  war, a period of enormous suffering for all communities," said  Sangakkara. "But the conduct and performance of the team will have even  greater importance as we enter a crucial period of reconciliation and  recovery, an exciting period where all Sri Lankans aspire to peace and  unity.  "It is also an exciting period for cricket where the reintegration of  isolated communities in the north and east opens up new talent pools.  The Spirit of Cricket can and should remain a guiding force for good  within society, providing entertain and fun, but also a shining example  to all of how we all should approach our lives."<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/ilde8p.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com" target="_blank">www.cricinfo.com</a></blockquote>

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