Mathivanan to contest for SLC presidency next year

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Kangadaran Mathivanan who resigned as vice-president of Sri Lanka Cricket on Wednesday said that he was out of cricket only temporarily but will be back in a big way next year. “I may be out of cricket for

Kangadaran Mathivanan

the time being but next year I want to contest for the post of President. I have served cricket for a long time and with good people to work with I will come back,” was the strong message Mathivanan sent out to his rivals.

Mathivanan who was elected vice-president at the last AGM of SLC in 2019 resigned from his post alleging that “he was not given any role to play although he was one of the vice-presidents”. “In the constitution it says the two vice-presidents are supposed to handle domestic or international cricket. But I was not given anything I was there just for the namesake.”

“They sidelined me without giving me a role to play. The two vice-presidents are given office space. In 2019 after I became a vice-president they even locked my room,” was the accusation Mathivanan cast at the SLC officials. 

Following Mathivanan’s resignation, a Sri Lanka Cricket media release stated: “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to state that the said resignation of Mr. Mathivanan comes in the wake of the recent unanimous decision of the Executive Committee to hold an inquiry against Mr. Mathivanan for indulging in unethical practices in his capacity as an Office Bearer”.

“The unethical practice they are talking about is that I am leaking news to the media. They are the guys who are doing it through a website called Cricket Age. Sri Lanka Cricket is paying the website Rs. 100,000 per month for six months on advertisements as a cover. Why should they go and advertise on an Indian website,” queried Mathivanan.

Speaking further he said, “They brought a new thing called Non-Disclosure Resolution for ExCo members and SLC staff. I of course opposed it because it should be in the constitution. They can’t bring something through the ExCo and put it on the members.”

“I thought of resigning a long time ago but I wanted to fight back. If I haven’t done that nothing would have come out, all of that would have been under the carpet. To tell you the truth, that is why they are angry with me,” he said.

Mathivanan said the present constitution of SLC needs to be changed and it should come from the stakeholders themselves. “But they don’t want to do that because those running for office give money to districts and clubs to get votes. Unless the Sports Minister puts a proposal to Parliament it will never happen.”

“The Minister should ask the question why none of the past cricketers don’t want to get involved with SLC. If you ask them to come and stand for election no cricketer will come. You’ll get the same faces being elected all the time because the votes are brought.”

Mathivanan first came into the SLC stream as a member of the interim committee in 2005 and since then has served as secretary and has been elected vice-president on seven occasions, the last four from 2016 to present.

“The stakeholders know me that I am one guy who has helped cricketers and clubs out of my own pocket. They know that I am honest and that I have not made use of any SLC money and they have faith in me. That is why they keep electing me to the post,” said Mathivanan who counts more than 15 years of experience in cricket administration.