COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: In a dramatic turn of events, Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, took decisive action on Monday by sacking the national cricket board in the aftermath of a humiliating World Cup defeat against India.
This move comes after months of fierce disputes between Ranasinghe and Sri Lanka Cricket, the wealthiest sports organization on the financially troubled island, regarding allegations of rampant corruption.
The 1996 World Cup-winning captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, has been designated as the chairman of the newly formed interim board, as declared by Ranasinghe’s office in an official statement. The seven-member panel includes a retired supreme court judge and a former board president, signifying a significant overhaul of leadership.
This development unfolded shortly after the resignation of the board’s second-highest officer, Secretary Mohan de Silva. The public outcry following Sri Lanka’s dismal 302-run loss to India at the World Cup prompted Ranasinghe to demand the entire board’s resignations. The Sri Lankan team was once at a shocking score of 14-6 and was ultimately all out for just 55 runs, marking the fourth-lowest World Cup total in history, while chasing India’s substantial 358 in Mumbai.
As a result of these events, the police have been deployed outside the board’s office in Colombo, where angry protests took place. Ranasinghe publicly stated that the officials of Sri Lanka Cricket had lost any moral or ethical right to remain in their positions, emphasizing the need for their voluntary resignations. He had previously accused the board of being “traitorous and corrupt.”
Sri Lanka’s World Cup aspirations hang by a thread, requiring a mathematical miracle to advance to the tournament’s final four. Ranasinghe, in an effort to address the ongoing issues, had written to full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), appealing for understanding and support. The letters cited complaints related to player discipline problems, management corruption, financial misconduct, and match-fixing allegations plaguing Sri Lanka Cricket.
Notably, Ranasinghe had previously attempted to establish a three-member panel to investigate alleged corruption within the board, but this effort was met with opposition from the ICC, which enforces rules against political interference in the sport.
The immediate repercussions of Ranasinghe’s latest actions on the global cricketing stage remain uncertain. The dismissed board had been elected in May, with President Shammi Silva serving his third consecutive term.
Sri Lanka’s struggle to reclaim its World Cup glory since the 1996 victory has further intensified the criticism against the board, with Ranasinghe attributing the “deterioration” of standards to their leadership. Another cabinet minister, Prasanna Ranatunga, brother of the newly appointed interim board chairman, previously stated in parliament that the 1996 triumph had brought about unforeseen challenges, with money attracting those with ulterior motives, leading to allegations of corruption.
Harin Fernando, a former sports minister, had enacted stringent anti-corruption legislation in 2019, echoing the International Cricket Council’s assessment of Sri Lanka as one of the world’s most corrupt cricketing nations. The dynamic within Sri Lankan cricket continues to evolve, shaping the sport’s future in the country.
