Money spinning Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) pays a monumental amount of Rs. 40 million a month to maintain a highly disputed backstage team to shape its on-field team that hit rock bottom at the World Cup now taking place in India.
Having won the World Cup in 1996 with only a coach and a physical fitness trainer, the money making SLC is now in possession of as many as nine non-players to groom a team that lost to underdog Afghanistan and had to even qualify for the last slot in the 10-nation global showpiece.
Coach Chris Silverwood from England gets the Lion’s share of 30,000 US dollars or equivalent to Rs.10 million a month and the figures leaked out a day after the team lost to Afghanistan and were thrown out from the running in securing the all-important semi final slot at the World Cup with five defeats from seven matches.
Sri Lanka Cricket also pays former captain Mahela Jayawardena 20,000 US dollars (Rs 6.5 million) for his services as a so-called Consultant who is struggling to find his feet and 14,000 US dollars (Rs. 4.5 million) for batting coach Naveed Nawaz raising more questions on the validity of their roles.
The Sri Lanka team has one of the largest, if not the largest backstage team, at the current World Cup and another enlisted expert is fielding coach Anton Rocks paid 8,000 US dollars (Rs 2.6 million) and a physiotherapist Tihan Chandra Mohan 9,000 US dollars (Rs.2.9 million) while the team carried the highest number of cricket-related injuries ever witnessed.
A second physiotherapist, Chris Clark is also among the backstage ranks and SLC pays him a sum equivalent to Rs. 2.6 million a month.
Also enlisted by SLC to ensure smooth sailing of the players are two more employees called Task Managers and a Task head whose names are Noyel McCarthy, Grant Luden and Timothy McCaskill. Their presence costs SLC 30,000 US dollars or Rs.10 million a month.
