Cricket membership seeks meeting with Sports Minister
Sixty eight stake holders of cricket met at the Sinhalese Sports Club yesterday and decided to urge the Minister of Sports Navin Dissanayake to resolve the current impasse and restore the rights of the membership. A spokesman for the membership speaking to the Sunday Times said “With the current state of affairs it is very likely that the ICC may take a tough stance against Sri Lanka and we do not want Lankan cricket to suffer as a result.”
Country’s cricket stakeholders fear of Sri Lanka’s future in the international arena - File pic
The spokesman added they intended to meet the Sports Minister at the earliest and request him to do away with the current Interim Committee and call for cricket elections forthwith.He said “Now that the report on irregularities that had taken place in the Ministry of Sports is out, the matter could be expedited. If there is anyone who is to be charged or questioned over the contents of this report the minister could keep those persons out of the equation and go ahead with the elections. Besides if anyone is found guilty of any misdeeds, the membership is willing blacklist him and keep him out of contention even in future elections.”
It is also learned that a suggestion to give the minister the option of appointing anyone one of his choice to head the SLC executive committee and let the rest of the members vote in persons of their choice also had a very favourable response.“We intend writing to the minister immediately and also keep the Prime Minister and the President informed about our request. The present situation is very volatile and it is not healthy for the future of the game in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Initially the SLC Annual general Meeting was scheduled to be held on before March 31, but owing to the 2015 Cricket World Cup which was in progress at that juncture the AGM was postponed to April 30 with the Minister’s consent.He said “However subsequently on March 25 the minister wrote back to Sri Lanka Cricket revoking his permission for the extension, but SLC, received the letter only on 30th and on April 1st the Interim Committee under the Chairmanship of Sidath Wettimuny was installed”.