ICC representatives complete fact-finding mission
ICC representatives met government officials among others highlighting the importance of respecting the independence of its member nations. President's Councel Dinal Philips is seen speaking
Imran Khwaja, the Deputy Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC), held talks with top government officials, including President Ranil Wickremasinghe and Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe during his two-day fact-finding mission on alleged political interference in cricket administration. He also met with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials and some of former administrators.
Following repeated complaints from SLC over political interference, the ICC appointed a three-member committee headed by Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Others on the committee are Khwaja and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan. Mr. Khwaja was accompanied by Ammar Shaikh, the Senior Manager-Strategic Projects during his two-day visit to the island.
The ICC representatives reportedly highlighted the importance of respecting the independence of its members and that reiterated political interference will lead to greater repercussions on cricketers and the game at large.
The meeting with the Sports Minister was attended, too, by former cricketer Sidath Wettimuny and lawyers Dinal Philips, PC, and Panduka Keerthinanda (representing the Minister). They have stressed the need to amend SLC’s constitution and voting system, seen as the biggest impediment to the game’s development and progress in Sri Lanka.
In February this year, the Sports Minister appointed a 10-member committee headed by Supreme Court judge K.T. Chitrasiri to draft a new constitution for SLC, angering the SLC hierarchy which labeled it as direct political interference in its governance. It then appointed its own committee to make constitutional recommendations.
Wettimuny and lawyer Phillips were among 12 petitioners who went before court highlighting flaws in cricket administration. They are pushing to pass a new constitution through Parliament.
“They agreed that the SLC constitution needs reform but said that any such reforms should be approved by the SLC membership at an annual general meeting,” said an official who attended the meeting of ICC representatives with the Sports Minister.
SLC and the Sports Ministry have been at loggerheads ever since Sri Lanka shifted the Asia Cup to Dubai (while retaining hosting rights) last year. World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who chairs the advisory body, National Sports Council (NSC), publicly questioned SLC’s ‘lavish expenditure’ on sending busloads of Executive Committee members to the Asia Cup and World Cup last year.
Under the ICC’s rules, member boards are required to operate independently of government interference, with the ultimate goal of protecting the integrity of the game. Like most international sports bodies, ICC requires complete independence of its member associations whilst respecting domestic laws.
Sri Lanka’s current Sports Law allows the Sports Minister to appoint selectors and various other committees to national sports bodies. Sri Lanka is the only country that requires sports associations to get their teams signed off by the Sports Minister before leaving for any international event.
Last month, the Minister set up a five-member Technical Consultative Committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya to advise the Minister of Sports, Ministry officials, and the National Sports Council on all matters relating to cricket in Sri Lanka.
“They see this as political interference. They said the sports body should have the right to appoint selectors,” the official said.
After Sri Lanka made a first-round exit at the World Cup a few months after lifting the Asia Cup, the Sports Minister appointed a committee to inquire into alleged incidents that occurred during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The committee made a number of recommendations including the suspension of SLC’s registration and a complete audit.
Whilst the audit report is being finalised by the National Audit Office (NAO), SLC challenged the report in court.
Last year, Minister Ranasinghe also introduced several new regulations placing term limits and age limits, compromising the autonomy and independence of national sports bodies, including SLC. No one over the age of 70 is now eligible to contest elections. Also ruled out are those who have completed four two-year terms in office, those who have been found guilty of corruption and financial irregularities, those with dual citizenship, Sports Ministry officials, and those who failed to declare their assets and liabilities for three years before the nominations.
These changes came into effect on December 14, 2022, and see many current officials being barred from contesting at elections next year due to the term and age limits.
SLC challenged this in the Court of Appeal and managed to obtain an interim order preventing the Sports Minister, Sports Ministry Secretary, and Director General of the Sports Ministry from implementing the impugned regulations until the final determination of this petition. The Court fixed the petition for argument on June 22.