In previous years it was in the hands of an individual. However, the new thinking by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has changed all that. Their main intention of forming such a committee is to widen their interest and participation worldwide. Similar committees are to be formed in the UAE and Australia.
BCCSL treasurer Nuski Mohamed during a recent visit to the UK, welcomed the new committee in the presence of distinguished dignitaries like Sri Lanka's representative to the Court of St. James, S.K. Wickramasinghe and England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tim Lamb.
He stated the Board was reorganising the international structure of representatives and paid a tribute to Dr. Daya Panditha-Gunewardena and Alan Wahab, who had represented the Board in the UK for the past 15 years. The first Board representative in the UK was Arthur Pinto in the mid-seventies.
Mohamed stressed the importance of the UK as it was the 'hub' of cricketing activities. The new committee will launch a series of activites evolving around the 1998 tour of the UK by Sri Lanka and their defence of the World Cup in England in 1999.
High Commissioner Wickramasinghe and Tim Lamb pledged to support the new UK committee who comprise wide ranging interests from the world of cricket, business, public relations and marketing.
The UK committee comprises: Asitha Jayaweera (chairman), Ivan Corea (secretary), Sarath Abeysundera, Dr. Daya Panditha-Gunewardena, Lakhi Liyanage, Alan Wahab, Thalath Ismail, Deepal Dharmasekera and Deepal Ahangama.