Sri Lanka sack entire Cricket Board over World Cup humiliation against India. In the aftermath of a resounding defeat by India in the World Cup, Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, took decisive action by dismissing the national cricket board.
The move follows months of conflict and accusations of widespread corruption between Ranasinghe and Sri Lanka Cricket, the island’s wealthiest sports organization.
Ranasinghe’s decision culminated in the appointment of a new interim board, with Arjuna Ranatunga, the celebrated skipper of Sri Lanka’s victorious 1996 World Cup team, named as its chairman.
The seven-member panel also includes a retired Supreme Court judge and a former board president, signifying a collective effort to address the issues plaguing the cricket board.
The upheaval unfolded shortly after the board’s secretary, Mohan de Silva, resigned, adding to the mounting pressure.
Ranasinghe had publicly demanded the entire board’s resignation, spurred by Sri Lanka’s abysmal performance against India, where they were dismissed for a mere 55 runs, prompting public outrage and protests.
Allegations of corruption, financial impropriety, and even match-fixing have marred Sri Lanka Cricket, prompting the minister to take action.
Ranasinghe has called for the resignation of board members, citing their lack of moral and ethical authority to hold their positions and labeling them as “traitorous and corrupt.”
Sri Lanka’s quest for redemption in the World Cup now appears dire, necessitating a near-miraculous turn of events to secure a place in the tournament’s final stages.
The minister, constrained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules against political interference in the sport, had to withdraw a previous investigation panel on corruption. This intervention was seen as a breach of the ICC’s regulations.
The recent move to dismiss the elected board, which had President Shammi Silva on his third term, raises questions about potential repercussions from the ICC and the broader international cricket community.
Sri Lanka’s cricketing decline since their 1996 World Cup victory has been a point of contention. The influx of money into the sport post-1996, according to some officials, has led to an environment ripe for malpractice and financial mismanagement.
Efforts to counter corruption have been ongoing, with anti-corruption legislation introduced in 2019. Former Sports Minister Harin Fernando had previously highlighted Sri Lanka’s tarnished reputation in the cricketing world, noting the ICC’s concerns about corruption within the country’s cricketing structure.
As Sri Lanka sack entire Cricket Board over World Cup humiliation against India, the current upheaval in Sri Lankan cricket administration emphasizes the deep-rooted conflicts and challenges within the sport.
However, the appointment of an interim board, including cricketing luminaries and legal experts, suggests a concerted effort to tackle the long-standing issues plaguing the nation’s beloved sport.
