Image Credit- AFP
The government has appointed a “interim
committee” led by Arjuna Ranatunga to replace the officials of the Sri
Lanka Cricket Board, according to a move made by the country’s minister of
sports Roshan Ranasinghe. Since the ICC disapproved of Sri Lanka’s previous
government-appointed committee in 2014, it is unknown how the ICC will react to
this development as of yet.
However, the government has the authority to dissolve
the governing body of any sport under Sri Lanka’s own Sports Law; it has
exercised this power multiple times during the last 20 years with regard to
SLC. However, the ICC had refused to release payments due to SLC throughout the
tenure of the most recent interim committee, which chaired for approximately a
year between 2014 and 2015, and had instead placed those monies in escrow until
a new board was chosen by SLC’s members. Additionally, SLC was reduced to an
observer at ICC board meetings.
Additionally, Ranatunga has made additional public
statements about the changes he would make to the national cricket team.
But he is the only former cricket player to have
represented his country on the interim committee. The other members of the
seven-member committee are Hisham Jamaldeen and Rakitha Rajapakshe, who are the
sons of politicians in the ruling political coalition with sports minister
Ranasinghe, Upali Dharmadasa, a former top official in the Supreme and High
Courts of Sri Lanka, and SI Imam, all of whom are retired judges. Jamaldeen
works in real estate, whereas Rajapakshe practises law.
In a letter to the other Full Member boards shortly
after Sri Lanka’s loss to India last week, Ranasinghe accused SLC of
“mismanagement” and effectively asked for permission to form his own
committee.
Ranatunga is expected to represent Sri Lanka as a
director at the ICC board meeting, which is scheduled to take place in two
weeks. The ICC board is composed of directors from all of the full member
countries.