Bala Kamallakharan has been appointed as Chairman of the Icelandic Cricket Association for 2021, the fifth person to hold this post since the retirement of Jakob Robertson at the end of 2018. After the brief chairmanships of Lee Nelson, Nolan Williams and Samuel Gill, the new incumbent hopes to bring a period of stability and growth to Icelandic cricket.
"Iceland Cricket has come a long way. I still remember when I first played here in 2008, and now we have so may players of quality, and have generated so much interest, I felt that the timing was right to take on a key role," says Kamallakharan.
He has growth in mind. "I would like Iceland to become a cricket-playing nation. That involves long-term planning, bringing in resources, and developing our infrastructure." Ultimately, he wishes to see more than the current three clubs playing cricket in the country, and he wants to see Icelanders start playing cricket again, as they did in the past. "Possibly, in the long term, Iceland would be able to join the ICC," he added.
He also paid tribute to his predecessor, Samuel Gill, whose work commitments in Norway obliged him to step down. "He's a good friend, and he's done a wonderful job of building a solid foundation for us to take on the next challenges." Gill is still involved with cricket in Iceland, and is expected to continue to play for Hafnarfjörður next season. In congratulating his successor, he said: "It was a privilege to work for Iceland Cricket and I know it will be fun for the new board, and especially Bala, to do so too. I wish them all good luck."
As Iceland Cricket begins its latest chapter, Sadun Lankathilaka steps into Leslie Dcunha's shoes as Vice Chairman, and David Cook succeeds Kit Harris as Secretary.
Kamallakharan had this message for Iceland Cricket's worldwide fans: "It's simply wonderful to be able to connect with you. Like you, I'm just a fan of cricket, but unlike you, I just happen to be in Iceland. I hope what we do continues to be inspiring and fun for everybody."