Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has been appointed to the transition committee responsible for overseeing Sri Lanka cricket. The committee has nine members, most of whom are from outside cricket. Apart from Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama and Sidath Wettimuni are the only cricketers.
Former Member of Parliament and opposition politician Eron Wickramaratne has been appointed Speaker. The committee was appointed after the Sri Lankan government removed the previous office-bearers of the SLC on Wednesday. Of the nine members of the committee, only one is a woman.
Kumar Sangakkara is a man of impeccable integrity and expertise – Wickramaratne
Aron Wickramaratne read an official statement stating the objectives of the committee. “I am privileged to lead a nine-member committee of individuals of impeccable integrity and expertise.”
Wickramaratne is understood to have given up his political posts and joined the committee as a corporate personality.
The transformation committee is ready to make radical changes in the governance system.
Wickramaratne in his statement outlined the key priorities of the committee. “Our immediate priority is a complete overhaul of the governance structure in SLC,” he said. “The cornerstone of this effort will be the implementation of the new Constitution, ensuring that it will serve as a strong, modern foundation for the game.”
The old SLC constitution has been criticized for being unproductive and giving too much power to non-cricketing institutions. The committee also has two lawyers, who suggest that the SLC constitution could be rewritten by the committee.
After this Wickramaratne said that the second priority is excellent performance on the field. We will focus on establishing the necessary structures, world-class facilities and incentive models to empower our national teams. Our aim is to enable our players to deliver consistent world-class performances and bring Sri Lanka back to the top tier of international rankings.”
ICC has not responded yet
Generally, the International Cricket Council does not consider government interference in board matters a good thing, but it has not yet responded to the issue.
In 2023, the ICC suspended the SLC on the request of then board president Shammi Silva. Silva had alleged that the country’s Sports Minister was interfering in the affairs of the board. Sri Lanka also lost the right to host the 2024 Under-19 World Cup.
In 2015, the Sri Lankan government suspended the leadership of the board and formed an interim committee. At that time, the ICC restricted Sri Lanka to observer status and froze their funding.
Wickramaratne further said that his committee is ready to follow any guidelines issued to them by the ICC.
“[The Committee is] The organization is committed to full compliance with International Cricket Council rules while embedding transparency, anti-corruption and professionalism in its DNA,” he said.
Pressure on Shammi Silva to step down
In February–March this year, Sri Lanka failed to make the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, which they co-hosted.
Following this, ousted SLC president Shammi Silva was under public pressure to step down from his post. People criticized the systemic imbalance in the SLC because Silva won three consecutive terms as president despite Sri Lanka being inconsistent on the field.
Earlier this month, Sri Lanka appointed renowned coach Gary Kirsten as their head coach in an effort to improve their on-field results. The transition committee and new head coach Kirsten will first take charge of the ODI series in the West Indies.
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