Plea to lift suspension on Kandy YCC

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports correspondent

CRICKET: Kandy District Cricket Association will make a plea on behalf of Kandy Cricket Club and Kandy Youth Cricket Club who were penalised by the Tournament Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket for violation of Tournament rules at the current P. Sara Trophy Cricket Tournament matches.

Kandy Youths CC were penalised for not honouring their cricket fixture against Malay CC in Colombo last month.

Kandy Youths CC were suspended for one year from participating in tournaments.

Kandy Youths explained to the Kandy District CA that this match was arranged during the time the up country areas affected by incessant rains, earthslips and floods.

The roads were impassable at several points. Still they tried their best to arrive at the grounds taking circuitous routes. When they did in the afternoon of the first day of the match, they found it was too late and the umpires had made their report and left the grounds.

Kandy Youths' explanation was that acts of God prevented them from arriving at the venue on time. They have also made an appeal to Sri Lanka Cricket in addition to presenting their case to the Kandy District CA at the recent committee meeting. Kandy Cricket Club were fined Rs. 100,000 and four of their players were suspended for one year not turning for their match against Wattala Antonians in Colombo.

It is understood that the suspended players included a very senior player who had captained the club and also has represented another Colombo Club a few years ago and three other promising young cricketers.

These cricketers had left the venue promising to return soon which did not materialise and Kandy CC had to close their innings and take the field with only Seven of the nominated players, which many felt was a violation of the tournament rules.

Kandy District Cricket Association which discussed both these matters at a meeting presided over by Dr. R. Mahendra felt that this punishment was too harsh in view of the fact that only these two clubs are playing P. Sara Trophy cricket from the hill capital and it will deal a big blow for cricket in Kandy.

Since the punishment came into force only recently, at the tournament after a short break has now resumed, the KDCA Committee that these two clubs should be given a milder punishment and status quo restored in the larger interest of cricket in the hill capital.