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FT
Saturday Nov 09, 2024
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The crisis faced by Sri Lanka’s most loved sport – cricket figured at yesterday’s meeting of Cabinet Ministers at which several key decisions were made to find early and lasting solutions.
In a significant development, the Cabinet of Ministers chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe discussed the pressing issues facing the country’s cricket landscape. “The attention of the Cabinet was drawn to various concerns within Sri Lanka Cricket. The Cabinet discussed and decided on a course of action to address these concerns,” a statement from the President’s Media Division said.
It said the Cabinet resolved to appoint a special sub-committee with the mandate to examine the current situation and work in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including input from esteemed former cricketers. The primary objective of this sub-committee is to recommend immediate, viable measures to resolve the outstanding issues in Sri Lanka Cricket. The members of this sub-committee, who have been entrusted with this vital responsibility, include: Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry as the Chairman while Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara are its members.
In addition, an Additional Secretary to the President, nominated by the Secretary to the President, will function as the Secretary/Convenor to the sub-committee. This appointment ensures efficient coordination and facilitation of the committee’s work.
Furthermore, the sub-committee has been authorised to co-opt the services of any official or expert in the relevant field as they deem necessary for their deliberations. This inclusive approach aims to tap into a wide range of expertise and perspectives to address the cricket-related issues more comprehensively.
PMD said the decision made by the Cabinet regarding the formation of this sub-committee is to be treated as confirmed, and it underscores the Government’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by Sri Lanka Cricket. The sub-committee is expected to work diligently to bring forth practical solutions to strengthen and rejuvenate the country’s cricketing landscape.
The cricket crisis figured at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting follows Sports and Youth Minister Roshan Ranasinghe via an extraordinary gazette sacked the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and appointed an interim committee.
The interim committee is headed by former Sri Lanka and World Cup winning Captain Arjuna Ranatunga (Chairman) and comprises Retired Supreme Court Judge S.I. Imam, Retired Supreme Court Judge Rohini Marasinghe, Retired High Court Judge Irangani Perera, businessmen Upali Dharmadasa, Attorney-at-Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, and entrepreneur and Moors Sports Club President Hisham Jamaldeen.
The former captain was “the most suitable person to revive cricket”, the minister said. “The priority is to get the team to perform better.” Three judges were included on the seven-member panel to help investigate corruption, he added.
Ranatunga said he had accepted the challenge of rebuilding cricket.
“Sri Lanka Cricket had become known as the most corrupt institution in the country,” AFP quoted him as saying. “I want to change that image.” The move came a day after the board’s second-highest officer, secretary Mohan de Silva, quit.
Minister Ranasinghe publicly demanded the entire board’s resignations after Sri Lanka’s 302-run World Cup thrashing by hosts India last week.
Ranasinghe said that Sri Lanka Cricket officials had no moral or ethical right to remain in office.
“They should voluntarily resign,” he said, having previously accused the board of being “traitorous and corrupt”.
The interim panel is the 10th appointed by a sports minister for various reasons since 1999 – when the Government intervened after the president’s uncle lost the election to lead the board – despite International Cricket Council rules against political interference.
On Saturday Ranasinghe wrote to full members of the 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.
“I would like to emphasise that interim measures will only be taken to establish good governance principles.” The minister was last month forced by the ICC to withdraw a three-member panel he had appointed to investigate alleged corruption at the board after it was deemed to violate the interference rules.
