A high-level ICC team, consisting of ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja and a high-ranking BCCI official, among others, has reportedly arrived in Sri Lanka after the resignation of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva and the entire executive committee, as per PTI.
On April 29 this year, the Sri Lankan government removed the entire top leadership of the SLC, including Silva and other office bearers. In its place, the government had appointed a nine-person Transformation Committee to run things instead.
The Transformation Committee
The Committee, as appointed by the government, is led by opposition politician Eran Wickramaratne. Of the other eight members, only three are former cricketers.
Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama, and Sidath Wettimuny are the former cricketers appointed to the Committee. In an official statement, Wickramaratne said that the committee's immediate priority was a "total overhaul of the governance framework at the SLC."
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It was also speculated that the Committee might be tasked with rewriting the SLC Constitution.
ICC delegation arrives in Sri Lanka
Reportedly, the ICC delegation led by Khwaja arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday night. The ouster of all the office-bearers and the appointment of the Transformation Committee could mean that the ICC will pull up the SLC for governmental interference.
Normally, the ICC takes strict action against cricket boards if their respective countries' governments interfere in the boards' governance and day-to-day activities. Right now, it is still unknown what kind of action the ICC would take in this case.
This is not the first time the ICC has had to deal with governmental interference with the Sri Lankan cricket board. In 2023, the ICC suspended the SLC board at the request of then-President Shammi Silva. Silva alleged that the Sports Minister was running things within the board at the time.
SLC Board resigns after meeting Sri Lanka's President
Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage publicly confirmed that the government had not officially communicated the appointment of the Transformation Committee to the ICC. Reportedly, this statement is the reason for the ICC's visit to the island nation, but sources say the ICC had been informed informally.
The Silva-led executive committee had originally resigned after a meeting with Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Reports in Sri Lankan media have suggested that the government’s intervention was triggered by the declining performances of the national men’s cricket team in recent months. The executive committee reportedly decided in an internal meeting earlier this week to resign en masse, paving the way for the interim body to take charge immediately.
In a statement issued after the resignations, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that Silva, along with the office-bearers and executive committee members, had stepped down with immediate effect. The board also said that the decision had been formally communicated to President Dissanayake and Sports Minister Gamage.
Next assignment for Sri Lanka on-field
Having appointed Gary Kirsten as head coach last month, the Sri Lankan team will take on the West Indies in a white-ball series next.
Between June 3 and June 15, the two teams will play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is each.
