Governance – Run out!

Kumar Sangakkara has made what has been described as the ‘most important speech in cricket history,’ delivering the 2011 MCC Spirit of Cricket Colin Cowdrey Lecture at that Mecca of cricket, Lords at London.

Sanga has never scored a hundred at Lords, but his lecture has been placed among the finest innings played there. The former Sri Lanka Skipper, in poetic language, with erudite, impeccable presentation and humongous panache, made an impassioned plea for good governance in the administration of the great game.

He has done us Sri Lankans proud and spoken out for the unseen and unheard millions of players and fans around the world who have witnessed in silent fury as administrators of the game have acted in greedy self interest only, to the detriment of all else.

When one witnesses the happenings at the recent elections to FIFA, or corruption in India, one realises that he spoke not for cricket fans alone but for football fans worldwide and all others who silently suffer, from the current tsunami of lack of good governance in all aspects found in every corner of the world. He made an extraordinary scathing attack on ‘partisan cronies’ who have ruined the good name of the sport in our land.

Standing ovation

The hour-long speech, which earned him a standing ovation, chartered the unique history of the evolution of cricket in Sri Lanka. The only other speaker who received a standing ovation on delivering the Spirit of Cricket Lecture was Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Sangakkara said: “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, that 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.”

Peter Roebuck, former Captain of Somerset and author, writing for ESPN Cricinfo says: “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... Actually it was not so much of a speech as a plea for proper governance. Nor was it motivated by the darker forces observed in lesser men... 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.”

Sri Lanka cricket in crisis

Sri Lanka cricket is in crisis. Another Interim Committee has been dissolved, another appointed. Allegations of financial mismanagement have left the World Cup organisation with a US$ 69 bill. Not to mentioned missing computer hard disks!

Up to Sri Lanka winning the World Cup in 1996, cricket administration was in the hands of part-time volunteers, benevolent and capable gentlemen, who got involved for the love of the game and were men of impeccable integrity.

Success at the World Cup and the resultant financial bonanza attracted charlatans, as rotting meat attracts maggots and as a bright light attracts moths. There was money to be made personally in managing cricket in Sri Lanka. The opportunistic, the unscrupulous and the cronies lined up to share the loot. The rest is history, unfolding in real time before our eyes.

The ICC meeting in Hong Kong this year issued a directive stating that cricket boards had to be free of political interference by June 2013 or face the prospect of sanctions. Sanga probably took this as the proverbial full toss on the leg side and whacked it for a humongous six, out of the grounds, in pursuit of good governance.

As an acknowledged and respected contemporary leader of the game in Sri Lanka, he probably felt duty bound to use the Spirit of Cricket Lecture to restate the depressing true picture and inspire change. This is not the first time this has happened.

Alexander the Great

Throughout history, great leaders have used words to inspire their followers. When facing adversity, inspiring words help to hold together a team and mobilise and motivate them towards a common target.

One of the most inspiring speeches is one made by Alexander the Great to his Macedonian troops, just before a battle against the forces of King Darius of Persia. It was before the battle at Issus, a small sandy enclave surrounded by mountains on three sides and the Gulf of Iskendurun on the fourth. Darius’ army had moved behind Alexander’s lines and massacred the wounded and sick, who they had left behind. In addition Darius had cut off Alexander’s route back to Macedonia. Just before the battle Alexander addressed his troops:

“You have already faced and surmounted many dangers, and you ought to take courage from them. Again we prepare for another battle. This time our struggle will be between a victorious army and a foe which has already been beaten. Moreover, we have already had divine intervention from the gods. Even we couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome than if we were generals of our enemies’ troops. He has put into the mind of Darius to leave the spacious plains and shut his army in a narrow cove, where there superior numbers will be useless. But there is sufficient room for us to march in our phalanxes.

“Nor are the enemies anywhere near to us in strength or in courage. We, men of Macedonia, have had long practice in warlike toils and in facing danger. They are on the other hand, are Persians, who have become enervated by a long course of luxurious ease. We, the most robust and warlike men of Greece and Macedonia, are arrayed against the most effeminate and sluggish of men. To crown it all, we are free men. We are about to engage in battle with men who are slaves. And don’t forget that Alexander is commanding you into battle, while they are being led by Darius.”

The entire Macedonian army rose to their feet to the cry of “Alexander, Alexander” and marched down into the Issus enclave to inflict a decisive defeat on the Persians. Alexander the Great by the age of 33, when he died , had conquered virtually the entire known world, from the shores of Mediterranean to the foothills of India , including the lands of modern day Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was another inspirational speaker. The words painted a picture of opportunity or threat and were always black or white, never grey and always invoked the making of choices between these extremes and there was always optimism he urged the country to make. He was with reason christened the Great Communicator.

His advocacy in support of the Star Wars programme: “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant US retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, but intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies?” The Star Wars programme set off a race for outer space superiority which effectively bankrupted and destroyed the USSR.

John Kennedy

John Kennedy, rallying America to confront the menace of global communism: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty.”

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill rallying a dispirited Britain to fight the Nazis: “We have nothing to offer but blood, sweat and tears, we will fight them on the beaches , we will wage war by land, sea and air and achieve victory at all cost.”

Inspired by Churchill, fight the British and its allies did and finally carry the battle into the very heart of Nazi Germany.

Barak Obama

Barak Obama, announcing the troop surge into Afghanistan: “As Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan to seize the initiative and to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda and its ruthless, repressive and radical Taliban allies, crush the insurgents and secure population centres.”

Business leaders too use words to inspire their employees and clearly articulate the visions and mission of their enterprise.

Michael Dell

Take Michael Dell of Dell Computers, who revolutionised computer marketing: “From the start, our entire business – from design to manufacturing to sales – was oriented around listening to the customer, responding to the customer, and delivering what the customer wanted. We started the company by building to the customer’s order.

“As a natural extension of customer contact, the direct model allows to take the pulse of whatever market we move into and provide the right technology for the right customers. The direct model has become the backbone of our company and the greatest tool in its growth. It all evolved from the basic model of eliminating the middleman.”

Bill Gates

Bill Gates of Microsoft: “The early dream was a machine that was easy to use, very reliable and very powerful, we even talked back in 1975 about how we could make a machine that would do all of your reading and note taking, it will also allow people to collaborate around the globe, it goes beyond the idea of electronic commerce. It speaks to the very fundamental idea of how information moves both inside a company and between a company and its partner and its customers.”

Kumar Sangakkara

Trinity College Ryde Gold Medallist, one time Captain of Sri Lanka Cricket, lawyer and indomitable wicket keeper and batsman, Kumar Sangakkara’s Colin Cowdrey Spirit of Cricket speech, may in time, be placed on par with the others I have cited.

Whether it reaches that high plane or not depends on us, the cricket fans and the public of large, whether we could unite to shame the powers that be to ‘doing what is right, the right way and at the right time’ – in short follow the rules of good governance in cricket administration and in all other matters of public and private activity.

Sanga has whipped off the bails, catching Sri Lanka’s cricket managers and their erstwhile masters completely on the wrong foot, hopping about helplessly and pathetically way out of the crease. Are we up to doing our part? That is the million dollar question. History is our judge.