ICC Board gets tougher over Lankan Govt. interference

Friday, 17 April 2015 03:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Takes steps to investigate apparent government interference in Sri Lanka
Withholds next release of finances pending satisfactory resolution
Expresses hope to resolve matters for the good of all cricketing interests in SL
No Lankan rep at ICC Board meeting in Dubai

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday decided to seek a “full and proper” explanation from the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka on the appointment of an Interim Committee to administer the Sri Lanka cricket board. The ICC Board, which held its second quarterly meeting of 2015 at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai on 16 April, has considered the implications of the appointment of an Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) by the Government of Sri Lanka and whether this may be a breach of the ICC’s constitution which requires free and fair elections for office-bearers within Member boards.

“After considerable discussion, and without making a final decision on the matter, the ICC Board supported a recommendation of the ICC Governance Review Committee that it should write to the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka seeking a full and proper explanation of its intervention that prima facie puts SLC in breach of the ICC’s constitution,” the ICC Board said in a statement. The Board further decided that, pending the satisfactory resolution of this matter, the next financial distribution due from the ICC to SLC will not be advanced to SLC and will, instead, be held in an escrow account. Notwithstanding the Board’s decision, Nuski Mohamed – a nominee of the Interim Committee – was given the opportunity to provide information about the status of the Interim Committee, following which he was invited to attend the ICC Board meeting as an observer on behalf of the interests of cricket in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, Mohamed declined to attend the meeting on these terms and as a result there was no representative from Sri Lanka at the meeting. The recent media comments of the Sri Lankan Sports Minister suggesting that the ICC was ‘colluding’ with former SLC officials were also noted and the ICC Board expressed its disappointment with the inaccurate nature of these comments. Moving forward the ICC hopes to progress this matter constructively with the Government of Sri Lanka for the good of all cricketing interests in Sri Lanka, the statement added. The ICC earlier warned that Sri Lanka would face suspension from ICC if the Government unjustly interfered in the administration of the cricket board. The Government last month appointed a nine-member Interim Committee headed by former Test opener Sidath Wettimuny to run Sri Lanka Cricket from 1 April. The Interim Committee will function until an election to the Board is held or until further notice. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier said that there were corruption allegations against the cricket administration and those should be investigated before holding elections to the SLC.