Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has dismissed the entire Sri Lanka Cricket Board and appointed an interim committee in its place until a new committee is selected. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLCB) has been disbanded due to internal unrest following the team’s poor performance in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup after Kusal Mendis’ team suffered a crushing defeat in the last match against India.
This was Sri Lanka’s second consecutive terrible ODI performance against India. They lost the Asia Cup final at home with 50 points and at the Wankhede Stadium with 55 points.
In addition to the humiliating performance, Sri Lanka suffered a crushing defeat to India by the second-largest margin in CWC ’23, ending their hopes of making it to the semi-finals.
Roshan Ranasinghe and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe are expected to discuss the issue at Monday’s Cabinet meeting. Cricket in Sri Lanka is highly politicized, with the Ministry of Sports having unfettered influence over the Cricket Board in all areas, including player selection. With just two wins and five losses so far, Sri Lanka are looking to secure a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the tournament.
“Sri Lankan cricket has been inundated with complaints regarding disciplinary action against players, corruption in management, financial misconduct and allegations of match-fixing.The interim measures are intended to establish principles of good governance. I would like to emphasize that this is taken solely by the government,” Ranasinghe said in a statement released to Sri Lankan media.
Ranasinghe said that Arjuna Ranatunga, who led the Sri Lankan cricket team to its only World Cup victory in 1996, has been appointed acting president. Members of his recently established seven-person committee also include a former chief justice of the Supreme Court and a former Supreme Court justice.
On Sunday night, Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Kusal Mendis refused to comment on rumors that had surfaced within the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and discussed internal team issues in public. said it was inappropriate. He says the question is too complicated for him to answer.
“It’s hard to say exactly. I can’t say that the cricket selection committee or the coach should quit from the game. None of that happened when we won the game. < /strong>
“My job is to lead the team when we compete in the World Cup. Decisions in these areas are taken by different people, so it is for me to discuss the issues you have raised. It’s difficult. My main focus is to do what’s best for the team and get through this tournament. To answer your question, it’s really complicated for me.”
Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh in New Delhi on Monday. The team will be aiming to put the past behind them and perform well in the next two matches in the main event in India.
