- Alleges public funds squandered
Former Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara says he is not overly surprised that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had been forced to fork out a sum of Rs 54 million (USD 164,000) to ex-head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe in an out-of-court settlement early this year.
The payment of the said sum to the ex-coach has come to light, following the release of Sri Lanka Cricket’s statements connected to the previous financial year.
Hathurusinghe, 57, had been appointed as the national team head coach in December 2017 on a 36-month contract when Jayasekara was the subject Minister.
When contacted by The Daily Morning Sports, the ex-Sports Minister stated that no sensible person could condone paying the aforesaid sum as compensation to the former head coach.
He said Hathurusinghe-a former Sri Lanka opener had been shown the door for what he described as the ‘short-sightedness’ of then Sports Minister Harin Fernando, and those holding office at the game’s domestic governing body at Maitland Place.
“He (Hathurusinghe) came on board during my tenure as Sports Minister,” Jayasekara, now an Opposition (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) lawmaker said.
“I knew he fit the bill as head coach. But, after I left office and during the tenure of Harin (Fernando) Hathurusinghe’s contract was terminated for reasons that only those who were at the helm of SLC then knew. The price paid for it is now there for all to see.”
MP Jayasekara also views the staggering amount paid as compensation to the former head coach, as a wanton wastage of public funds, and noted that it was an issue that could best have been avoided, had the former cricketer been allowed to complete his contract.
“I am not unduly surprised over SLC being forced to pay such a massive amount as compensation, and this happened entirely due to the folly of the former Sports Minister and the ex-SLC Ex-Co. Ultimately public funds have been squandered and no one is there to be held accountable,” the former Minister pointed out.
The former opener’s contract was terminated in 2019 citing dismal results and disciplinary concerns, during his stint by the SLC Ex-Co helmed by Shammi Silva, based on the outcome of a one-man inquiry by retired Supreme Court Judge Lalith Jayasuriya.
This subsequently prompted the former Ananda cricketer to institute legal action against his employer-SLC over what he considered as arbitrary removal from his post, and it also set in motion a long-running legal dispute between the two parties.
Following his dismissal Hathurusinghe-who also coached Bangladesh had initially sought around USD 5 million in damages citing loss of income, opportunity and image, while also opting to petition the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland.
However, after the CAS case had failed to proceed as intended, Hathurusinghe had reportedly initiated fresh action seeking USD 450.000 as compensation.
It is said that the SLC had agreed on a sum of USD 200.000, with the controlling body subsequently paying USD 164.000 to settle the dispute with the ex-batter, who won 26 Test and 35 ODI caps for his country in the 1990s.
Efforts made to contact former Sports Minister Harin Fernando proved unsuccessful as he is currently overseas, while former SLC President Shammil Silva politely refused to speak to the press.