I Resign

I am resigning from my post at Sri Lankan Cricket. Actually I am not legally contracted in any way with SLC but  I am resigning nonetheless.

Allow me to explain.


I had an implicit contract with SLC and my role can be best described as an Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers. But I no longer wish to play that role. Indeed I do not see any succession issues. My role was certainly not indispensable and you will find a million others to succeed in this role of a  Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers.

As with any contract, this one too came with obligations on both sides.

An obligation on my part; which I believe I have fully and unconditionally honored; and an obligation from Sri Lankan cricket; which I know you have not. Your inability to better your 2007 World Cup runner-up performance with a championship in 2011 is a breach of contract.

I hereby join skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardhane and the Sri Lankan selectors and offer my resignation.

In my career as an Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers I had a great time as long as you kept your obligation to constantly improve. But two consecutive 2nd place finishes in ICC's showpiece event is abysmal and even though I gave it my all, I think it is time for SLC to groom a younger more enthusiastic professional who can be an Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers.

My time as a Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers has been full of happy memories.

Your humbling of India in the very first Test you played in my country, Sidhat Wettimuny's 190 in your first Test at Lords, the attacking instincts of Roy Dias and later Arvinda D'Silva; all these were my earliest assignments and I not only did well as an Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Sri-Lankan-cricket-and-cricketers but I also loved my job.

More recently I was as upset at the umpiring as any other Sri Lankan when Kumar Sangakkara's brilliant fightback was wrongly cut short in a Test in Australia.

Heck, I even traveled to Greneda for the 2007 World Cup Super Six game (I have not yet been reimbursed by SLC) to watch 2 of your games. In one, which bore no consequences to the semi final line ups against Australia, you chose to rest your star players and what I cheered was a side which can be best described as the one that can lose and not hurt the Sri Lankan ego. I still cheered although I must admit I felt very much cheated.

When I look back at my career at SLC, I think this game was the first time cracks began to appear in our relationship. It was a dimwitted move to not try and win against Australia and over the last 4 years I have not been enjoying my job as much; bar the Sangakkara episode.

I vehemently believe that my resignation will be the best move for both parties in this implicit contract.

As for my next assignment.

I have an offer from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Implicit of course. After a couple of months of spending time with my family I will accept the offer. I am now an Indian-supporter-who-could-not-escape-admiring-Bangladesh-cricket-and-cricketers