National calls, injuries to players main causes of SSC’s demotion: Cricket Committee Chairman

• All players give assurance to remain with the club despite setback

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

SSC Cricket Committee Chairman Samantha Dodanwela said that national calls and injuries to players were the main causes of SSC faring so poorly in the ongoing SLC Major Club 3-Day Tournament that will see them relegated to play in Tier B next season.

SSC finished second from the bottom of Group B with only one win and will be relegated along with Kandy Customs CC, who finished last in the group.

“The reason why this happened to SSC is not with regard to the SSC management or anything but the availability of cricketers during the season, mainly due to national commitment and injuries. We were struggling to get a proper composition going,” Dodanwela told the Daily FT.

“Last year, we had to rest the national players mainly because the youngsters were doing well. We tried to give the youngsters the opportunity because they are the future of Sri Lanka and SSC cricket. We rested players like Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Dasun Shanaka.”

“We were fortunate that players like Nuwanidu Fernando, Nipun Dananjaya, and Shevon Daniel were all amongst the runs, therefore we did not need the seniors. We won the championship also with this young team [joint champions with Police SC].”

“When we started this season, our priority was to give opportunities to players who played last year, not the national players. But when we realised their failure, we recalled the seniors, some of whom were playing overseas. They came besides informing us that they will be playing only white-ball cricket and not re- ball cricket. Dasun Shanaka and Avishka Fernando have categorically stated that they are playing only white-ball cricket. But we have said if the need arises, they will have to come and play for SSC and they have agreed.”

“On top of this, we also had several injuries. Nipun Dananjaya, last year’s Vice-Captain, played only two games. He was injured right throughout the season. Just before the first game, he got hit on the elbow when he was with the Emerging side and suffered a fracture. Kasun Rajitha played only the first game and he was out for the entire season till the last game. Fast bowler Nisala Tharaka, who was our highest wicket-taker last season, was out and played only the last two matches and Pramod Madushan was also the same. All three fast bowlers were injured. We always lost about 7-8 players either due to injuries or national duty. That is the main cause.”

Dodanwela, who is the SSC Cricket Committee Chairman for the past 11 years and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Tournament Committee Chairman, said that it was unfair for people to talk about SSC without realising what happened to them this season.

Dodanwela pointed out that SSC is the only club in Sri Lanka domestic cricket to have won three club titles in one season. In 2007-8 they won the League, the Limited-Over and the Under-23 titles. Last year, coinciding with the club’s 125th anniversary, they won the League (joint champs with Police SC) and the Limited-Over.

“Everyone has good days and bad days. If the picture is always rosy, that is not your life. When you fall, you hit the bottom. I believe in those things,” said Dodanwela.

“The good thing is I had a very fruitful and constructive meeting with the national players and the entire squad of 40 players. I said the objective of the meeting is not to shout at or criticise you all, but to speak about the future of SSC cricket and the way forward plan.” “The first question I asked from the national cricketers was to let me know whether they were going to stay with the club or leave. They gave me one answer and said that was not a question to ask. They said that they will remain with the club. ‘This is our club; because of us this has happened, we will stay and win Tier B,’ they said. The only thing is 11 national players will play in Tier B and the main tournament will be diluted.”

“I asked the rest of the players to let me know whether they were leaving SSC and if so, there was no issue. But all of them said they are going to remain with the club. They know what we have done for them and how we have supported them. That is the beauty of SSC: the loyalty these boys have and the atmosphere we have created. That is the assurance that I have got. We will win and come back.”

On a final note, Dodanwela said: “I will take the challenge even today that if we play our full side, we will beat any team in the two groups. If the winner of this championship comes and plays with us, we will beat them. I know the quality of cricket we play and how talented these boys are. It is just that these things happened.”