• Rubbishes claims of Dilshan’s clout

Sri Lanka women’s cricket National Selection Committee Chairman and former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Hemantha Devapriya rubbished recent allegations that Limansa Thilakarathne had made it to the Sri Lanka Under 19 Women’s World Cup squad to Australia primarily due to undue influence exerted by her father, former National Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.

In a brief interview with The Sunday Morning Sports, Devapriya, himself a talented cricketer during the country’s formative cricketing stage, said that the selectors had followed the due selection process ahead of deciding to settle for Limansa.

He thus dismissed charges directed against his panel accusing it of having bowed to the influence of the former star cricketer to select his daughter ahead of other deserving talent.

“We followed the correct selection procedure,” Devapriya, 66, said, referring to Limansa’s selection. 

“She had also excelled at Under 19 schools, district, and provincial tournaments. We clearly spotted her talent and it was a case of selecting a deserving player as opposed to us being dictated to by anyone either from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) or by Limansa’s father.”

He therefore dismissed allegations that the player concerned, who had resided in Australia for a period, had been chosen primarily due to the cricketing clout associated with the former Sri Lanka opener-cum-wicketkeeper-batter.

“These allegations are rather ludicrous and flimsy to start with,” said the ex-Nalanda cricketer, who was one of 14 players to receive a life ban from the game from then Minister of Sports Gamini Dissanayake for being a member of the 1982 rebel tour to South Africa.

“In my life I have neither stooped to that level nor will I allow anyone to exert pressure on me. That is not my style. 

“If there is a deserving player who needs to be exposed to the highest level, then I will act without fear or favour. That is the mantra that I follow and Limansa is a perfect example of that.”

When asked whether there was any truth to claims made in certain quarters that the former Sri Lanka Captain’s daughter was not a resident of Sri Lanka and therefore had no right to be parachuted to the squad, the selection chief added that it could not be further from the truth.

“In reality, Limansa is residing in this country and is about to enrol at a Sri Lankan university shortly. So these arguments brought against her, that she is not a Sri Lankan citizen and has no right to represent her country, do not hold water in my view.” 

Devapriya was of the view that Limansa was a very rare talent, being a right-arm leg spinner, and pointed out that if handled well, she could go places in the women’s cricketing firmament.