SLC asked ICC for a suspension?

The Board of Directors of International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the national cricket governing body, citing extensive government interference in its administration.

The sanction came in the backdrop of Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s allegations about the misconduct of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials.

However, ESPNcricinfo reported that “it is understood that SLC had asked the ICC board to take this extreme step,” although the international cricket body’s decision appears to have come out of the blue.

In a statement on Friday (Nov.10), the ICC said the SLC had breached its obligations as a member, in particular the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference. The ICC said the conditions of the suspension would be decided by its Board in due course.

The ICC Board is set to meet from November 18-21 in Ahmedabad, India, after which the future course of action is expected to be clearer. Sri Lanka is scheduled to host the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup across January and February 2024.

In a letter sent to the national cricket body’s president Shammi Silva on Friday, the ICC said it would “continue to recognise the democratically elected office bearers of Sri Lanka Cricket” for the purposes of the upcoming ICC Board meeting. As such, Silva has been asked to attend the meeting in his capacity as an ICC Director.

ESPNcricinfo also reported that Silva, who is currently in India, had attended Friday’s meeting as the elected representative.

The national cricket issue snowballed after India thrashed the Lions by a mammoth 302 runs in the ODI 33 of the ongoing World Cup tournament.

The Sri Lanka men’s team has had a forgettable time at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, winning only 2 out of 9 matches and finishing with 4 points. They sit at No.8 in the points table with 3 more matches to be played in the league phase.

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, calling SLC “traitorous and corrupt” in a statement made in parliament on November 03, urged the board members to resign.

Following the resignation of SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva and the sacking of the board, Minister Ranasinghe replaced them with an interim committee chaired by World Cup-winning former captain and former minister Arjuna Ranatunga.

However, ousted SLC President Shammi Silva filed a petition before the Appeals Court against the dismissal and was reiterated after being granted a two-week stay order, with a full hearing to follow. The matter was also discussed in Sri Lanka’s parliament this week.

The cricket body also issued a statement addressing the allegations made by Minister Ranasinghe about the transfer of USD 2 million from its accounts, assuring that the funds were used for operational expenses only and not transferred out of their accounts.

Further, the SLC said it would establish an independent committee to inquire into audit reports, and make recommendations to ensure the prevention of corruption. This independent panel will comprise of S. I. Imam, Retired Supreme Court Judge; Rohini Marasinghe, Retired Supreme Court Judge; and Irangani Perera, Retired High Court Judge. They are to be tasked with inquiring into and recommending appropriate action in relation to the references contained in the special audit report dated September 11, issued by the Auditor General’s Department, and subsequently make recommendations and formulate strategic actions to ensure the prevention of corruption, malpractices, irregularities, misconduct, and failures as referred to in the document.

Against this backdrop, the parliament, on Thursday (Nov.09), unanimously passed a joint proposal regarding the removal of the SLC office bearers, brought forth by the government and the opposition.

Addressing a meeting held with ruling party MPs later that day, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had said that he was of the view that that the best solution for the Sri Lanka Cricket crisis is to implement the draft constitution for the cricket governing body proposed in the report compiled by the committee headed by Justice K.T. Chitrasiri.

Reiterating that he remains impartial in this matter, adding that he is “on the side of cricket”, President Wickremesinghe has pointed out that appointing interim committees is a band-aid solution and will not suffice to address the issue adequately.

The ‘Chitrasiri Committee Report’ on the new SLC constitution was handed over on November 08 to the Minister Ali Sabry-led Cabinet sub-committee, consisting of Ministers Tiran Alles, Manusha Nanayakkara and Kanchana Wijesekera and appointed by the Sports Minister to look into the issue.

This new draft constitution suggests a comprehensive overhaul of the method for appointing members to the SLC board, as well as changes in its composition, administration and management.