Tamil Union cricket authorities confirmed yesterday that Chandika Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lanka opening batsman had not only left the club over the issue of captaincy, but also taken several young cricketers along with him.
Moors SC cricket secretary A.R.M. Arooz confirmed yesterday that Chandika Hathurusingha, Niroshan Bandaratilleke, Gayan Wijekoon, Asela Jayasinghe, Saluka Wijesiri and Chaminda Hathurusingha (Chandika's brother) had joined his club.
Moors SC, finished runner-up in the Segment 'B' last season and were promoted to play in the top league (Segment 'A') for the 1997-98 season.
Arooz said the cricketers had indicated to him that they had secured their cricket futures at Moors SC.
``Having gained promotion to play in Segment 'A', we were on the hunt for some quality players. Tamil Union's exodus was a godsend opportunity,'' said Arooz.
Moors SC is likely to be led by Riyaz Farook as the appointed captain Tariq Jiffry is away in Australia playing grade cricket.
Tamil Union cricket sources said that Hathurusingha was not happy when the club decided to extend the term of captaincy of Damien Nadarajah for another year.
According to club sources, Nadarajah had led the side very well last season by taking them to fourth place in the Sara trophy (Segment 'A') tournament.
Nadarajah had indicated that he was available to lead the side during 1997-98 as well, and the club's executive committee gave him the nod to go ahead.
The decision did not go well with Hathurusingha, one of the senior member's of the club.
Tamil Union sources said that Hathurusingha was twice offered the captaincy in 1995-96 (when he stepped down because of his commitments with the national team) and in 1996-97 (when he went off to Australia to play grade cricket), and had no cause to grumble.
``We have always stood by him and if this is the type of response we get from him, it is very sad,'' said a club official, who did not wish to be named.
``The club has been the breeding ground for several outstation cricketers, some of whom have gone on to play in the national team,'' said the official.
The club will be badly depleted without the services of the six players whose contribution last season, enabled the club to finish in the top four with nine wins (seven outright and two first innings) out of 13 matches last season.
``I am sure we should get suitable replacements for the new season because the response from players from other clubs have been very encouraging,'' said the club official.
S. Skandakumar, a senior member of Tamil Union and a former secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board said: ``The game and the institution will always be bigger than the individual''.
Like so many other outstation cricketers, Hathurusingha came to play for his country from total obscurity. He was a student of Veluwana and although he joined Ananda College, he was overlooked for the Sri Lanka schoolboys cricket tour to England in 1986, until Tamil Union made an issue out of his omission, and had him included in the team.
Hathurusingha subsequently went on to play Test cricket for his country five years later as an opening batsman and useful medium-pace bowler.
Since losing his Test place after the South African series at home in 1993, Hathurusingha has always struggled to gain a permanent place in the Sri Lanka side - his last appearance being on the tour to Australia in 1995-96.