Sports Minister appoints Interim Committee for SLC

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has appointed a seven-member Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), chaired by World Cup-winning former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga. 

Accordingly, under the authority granted to him by the Sports Law No 25 of 1973, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has formed an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket consisting of the following members:

1) Hon. S. I. Imam, Retired Supreme Court Judge 
2) Hon. Rohini Marasinghe, Retired Supreme Court Judge 
3) Hon. Irangani Perera, Retired High Court Judge 
4) Mr. Arjuna Ranatunga (Chairman) 
5) Mr. Upali Dharmadasa 
6) Mr. Rakitha Rajapakshe, Attorney-at-Law 
7) Mr. Hisham Jamaldeen

The Interim Committee for SLC with Arjuna Ranatunga as Chairman will come into effect from today (06) while the earlier board will be temporarily suspended, the Sports Ministry said.

Anger over Sri Lanka’s miserable World Cup campaign had erupted after a humiliating 302-run thrashing by hosts India, with the country’s sports minister demanding the cricket board’s resignation.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 55 while chasing 358 in Mumbai on Thursday, the fourth-lowest total at a World Cup tournament.

Sports minister Roshan Fernando, who has long been at loggerheads with the board and previously accused it of being “traitorous and corrupt”, upped the stakes by telling officials and selectors to quit.

“Sri Lanka Cricket officials have no moral or ethical right to remain in office,” the minister said in a statement issued on Friday night. “They should voluntarily resign.”

There was no immediate formal comment from Sri Lanka Cricket, but board officials said it had sought an explanation from coaching staff over the crushing defeat.

Sri Lanka has not won the Cricket World Cup since its sole victory in 1996, with Fernando blaming the board for the “deterioration” of standards since then.

Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, Mohan de Silva, the board’s second highest ranking official, said on Sunday that he had sent his resignation from Australia where he had been diagnosed with a heart condition

De Silva said he had been diagnosed during a routine medical check-up in Australia and decided to resign from his elected position on the board.

He said his medical condition was “obviously due to the stress and anxiety surrounding controversies in cricket,” adding his family had asked him to step down.
Sri Lanka were at one point 14-6 and were all out for 55, the fourth-lowest World Cup total in history, while chasing India’s 358 in Mumbai on Thursday.

On Saturday Ranasinghe wrote to full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) asking for their understanding and support.

“Sri Lanka Cricket has been besieged with complaints of player disciplinary issues, management corruption, financial misconduct, and match-fixing allegations,” Ranasinghe said in the letters, released to Sri Lankan media.

The minister was forced by the ICC to withdraw a three-member panel he had appointed last month to investigate corruption at the board after it was deemed to be political interference.

Board sources said coaching staff had been called to explain the crushing defeat to India.

(With Agencies Inputs)