Few things unite Sri Lankans, and central amongst them is the love for the sport cricket. For cricket, we make time, travel great distances, endure much hardship, spend money, and band together with others who we don’t see eye-to-eye with. Granted, few things in Sri Lanka over the last few decades have given Sri Lankans an opportunity to come together and have an evening of distraction from the daily grind, like cricket has. Sri Lankans have always liked the underdog and have stood by Sri Lanka’s cricket over thick and thin. However, it seems no more.

The issues faced by Sri Lanka’s cricket are no secret, nor are the consequences of those issues. Ask any Sri Lankan and almost everyone would resoundingly call for the “crisis” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is facing to be dealt with urgently. As the controversies surrounding Sri Lanka’s cricket intensified with the cricket team’s performance during the ICC Cricket World Cup, many have rightfully called for the crisis to be solved, and called for heads to roll.

And heads should roll, in the SLC management, in its selections group, training group and even at the team level. However, today, with the grand play of the ‘cricket crisis’ which is playing to a sold out audience, with the public’s collective eyes fixated on the drama of cricket, the Government preps for a decisive budget and attempts to push through legislation which can have long-term repercussions for democracy and governance in Sri Lanka.

Cricket management and the state’s role in it has always been a point of contention. Sadly, Cricket, like many other nice things in Sri Lanka, was politicised early on, and we are paying for those mistakes today. How the matter is playing out before Parliament and the Judiciary, with statements and allegations, finger pointing and name calling will do irreversible damage to what’s left of the Sri Lankan brand name, and that of Sri Lanka sports in the international arena. Sri Lanka is today standing naked before the world as we try to fix a national issue through the courts of public opinion and mass media. If Sri Lanka had a sound governance structure or if the Government was keen to rebuild the Sri Lanka image, then the matter would have been quickly and effectively resolved behind closed doors. But it seems that there are greater powers at play, and they have prioritised the sustainment of the long entrenched way things had been done with Sri Lankan Cricket, over saving what’s left of our brand name and reputation. How low have we fallen? How shameless we have become.

While the International Cricket Council (ICC) led by the powerful Indian Cricket Board watches on, the “Lion” has been undressed and paraded by cricketers, selectors, administrators, the management, and politicians.

While the cricket fan base of the nation remains fixated on the drama which is being performed before them, questions of austerity measures which are around the bend with the budget, changes to taxation, questions about how the State will improve revenue, fund for education, corruption in medicines import, the brain drain and soaring cost of living, have all taken a convenient back seat. This, a week before the budget, while controversial legislation is pushed through, corruption and fraud charges against suspect politico’s are being dropped. How convenient indeed. 

Have we learnt nothing from Cricket’s basic lessons? Keep your eye on the ball. And the ball is not cricket this month, or this year. There are much more important things to track, to debate, to question and to resist. Get the governance of the country right, and cricket administration will fall into line. Don’t let the smoke screen distract you. We stand naked, bankrupt and in turmoil before the world. Let’s get our priorities straight.  Don’t lose track of the ball.