Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs Roshan Ranasinghe says he is ready to offer his ministerial post to Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Minister and former World Cup-winning Sri Lanka cricket captain.
Speaking to the media in Colombo, the lawmaker also emphasized that the President’s approval is not required to appoint an interim committee. “I took the decision in accordance with the powers I am vested with.”
Ranasinghe told reporters that he would continue to perform his duties until he is in office as the sports minister. “I have a duty to the country. [...] The President can oust me if he wishes to and it is up to him.”
On Monday (Nov. 06), the sports minister appointed an Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chaired by Ranatunga to carry out the board’s operations until further notice or until an election is held. Former under the authority granted to him by the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973, the panel comprises retired Supreme Court judges S.I. Imam and Rohini Marasinghe, retired High Court judge Irangani Perera, Upali Dharmasena, Attorney-at-Law Rakitha Rajapakshe and Hisham Jamaldeen.
However, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had not been notified about the sports minister’s decision to appoint this interim committee, its composition or the decision to suspend the previous board. Internal sources said the Head of State had only come to know of the interim panel’s appointment through media reports.
As such, the matter was taken up for discussion at Monday’s meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, during which a four-member cabinet sub-committee was appointed to look into the sports minister’s move, on the consent of the Sports Minister and the President.
The cabinet sub-committee, chaired by Minister Ali Sabry, consists of Ministers Tiran Alles, Manusha Nanayakkara and Kanchana Wijesekera.
SLC and the Selection Committee have been under fire after the national team’s recent repeated defeats, but backlash snowballed after India demolished the Lions to register a 302-run victory in ODI 33 of the ongoing ICC World Cup.
