Sports Minister writes to ICC over reports of committee probing SLC

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Roshan Ranasinghe has written to the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Greg Barclay, pertaining to recent media reports claiming that a committee has been appointed to investigate Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

Issuing a release in this regard, the Ministry noted that Ranasinghe had written to Barclay, requesting a discussion on media reports claiming that the ICC has appointed a three-member committee to investigate into the alleged political interferences within SLC.

The statement further noted that in his letter, the Minister assured that he shared the same ideals as the ICC on the fact that the SLC should remain independent, adding that other registered national sports bodies too, should be devoid of political interferences.

Moreover, Minster Ranasinghe stated that it is essential that all sports teams and organizations within the country act in accordance with a certain standard, in light of the fact that they are also subjected to the conditions and regulations of international organizations.

Indian media recently reported that the ICC has appointed a three-member committee to assess the alleged political interference in the functioning of SLC.

The high profile committee reportedly includes – Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, Cricket Age reported.

“The committee is tasked to comprehensively looking at the matter and submit the report to the game’s governing body”, a well-placed ICC source told Cricket Age.

The development comes days after SLC’s top Officials – President Shammi Silva, CEO Ashley de Silva, Secretary Mohan de Silva and Vice President Domestic Cricket Ravin Wickramaratne visited Dubai to attend the ICC meeting.

The debate – over political interference in the functioning of the Cricket Board in Sri Lanka – started right after Roshan Ranasinghe was sworn in as the island’s Sports Minister last year.

It reached the boiling point, when Ranasinghe issued a series of regulations on December 14, with regard to the matters including the tenure of Sports Associations, holding elections, term of office of the positions held in sports associations and age limitations.

In response, SLC went to the Court of Appeal and managed to get an interim order preventing the implementation of the gazette notification, until the hearing of the writ petition filed by the Cricket Board and several sports associations is concluded.

Since then, the Minister and SLC’s top officials are at loggerheads.

Interestingly, several other Sport Bodies have also voiced their concern against Ranasinghe’s gazette notification, especially after football and rugby were banned by its global governing bodies respectively.

Attached below is the relevant press release issued by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs:

- With input from agencies 

Ministry of Sports Press Release by Adaderana Online on Scribd