New manager Ajit Jayasekara vows to safeguard players

Newly appointed manager of the Sri Lanka cricket team Air Commodore Ajit Jayasekara vowed to safeguard the cricketing careers of the players coming under his wing from the unwanted controversies that some of the leading players are embroiled in.

"In the present day context with all these unwanted controversies, it will be quite an onerous task to keep these young players away from temptations and any actions that may cut short their cricketing careers by meeting the wrong type of people," said Jayasekara at a press conference held at the Cricket Board headquarters on Tuesday.

Jayasekara was in fact referring to the match-fixing allegations brought against some of the leading cricketers in the game which includes two former Sri Lanka captains Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva.

Jayasekara, a former division I club cricketer who represented SSC, NCC and Air Force, said that he had not come to impose service discipline on the players, but assured that he would do his best to "ensure that everything is looked after so that the team can focus on the game at hand".

He said that he was initially apprehensive (due to personal reasons) to accept the post when it was offered to him, but he took it when he realised what a great honour that was being bestowed on him.

"Our young team have been performing well lately, and I am proud to be manager of such a combination. My job is to guide them and ensure that all their needs are met so that they can actually focus on their cricket," said Jaysekara, who was an administrator of the BCCSL for 11 years from 1980 and was once assistant manager to the national team in 1989.

Jaysekara said that he has spoken to the team on general matters, but he would take up the controversial matters soon, in consultation with coach Dav Whatmore. He said he was confident the ongoing internal problems the Crickett Board was presently experiencing would not affect the players.

Jayasekara has been appointed for the tour of South Africa beginning December 3 and also for the short to New Zealand in January.