Clubs and associations affiliated to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the fallouts of the sports ministry appointing an interim committee to oversee the affairs of the board, and have decided to ask the country’s president, prime minister and sports minister to address the issue on an emergent basis.
A statement from Member Clubs and Associations of Sri Lanka Cricket on Tuesday (April 28) said there had been no explanation, or “a justifiable reason” for removing the previous administration and installing the interim committee.
Navin Dissanayake, the sports minister of Sri Lanka, appointed the interim committee, headed by Sidath Wettimuny, the former cricketer, on March 31 after dissolving the SLC administration following reports of widespread corruption in the board. The appointment of the committee went against the International Cricket Council’s rules and regulations, which don’t encourage political interference in cricket governance and only accepts independently elected bodies.
Section 2.9 of ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association states: “Where a government interferes in the administration of cricket by a Member, including but not limited to interference in operational matters, the selection and management of teams, the appointment of coaches or support personnel, the Executive Board (of the ICC) shall have the power to suspend or refuse to recognise that Member.”
The Member Clubs and Associations of SLC said, “Whilst an Interim committee has been appointed to run the affairs of Sri Lanka Cricket, up to now the Hon. Minister (Dissanayake) has not given a justifiable reason for doing so. Due to this reason even the International Cricket Council has commenced an enquiry to assess the current situation and temporarily withheld large sums of money that are due to Sri Lanka Cricket.”
After the meeting, attended by representatives of 68 of the 85 clubs and association attached to the SLC, “unanimously decided to notify the Hon. Minister of Sports, the Hon. Prime Minister and His Excellency the President of the dangers and the damage that could cause to the game and to Sri Lanka Cricket if this issue was not addressed diplomatically and a fair manner.”
Saying that it was important to update the ICC on the status of the SLC at the earliest, the members sought “an early appointment to discuss this issue in order to minimise the damage that could cause to Sri Lanka Cricket and the restoration of the democratic rights of the Membership (of Sri Lanka to the ICC).”
