The Ministerial Sub-Committee for Cricket has submitted its comprehensive report to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), President Wickremesinghe expressed his commitment to implementing the recommendations outlined in the report. Additionally, both the report and a new draft Sports Bill are scheduled to be presented to the Parliament in the near future.
This initiative comes after President Wickremesinghe appointed a four-member committee on November 6, 2023. Chaired by Minister Ali Sabry, the committee included Ministers Tiran Alles, Manusha Nanayakkara, and Kanchana Wijesekara. The committee was tasked with investigating matters related to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) following the decision by then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe to appoint a seven-member Interim Committee for SLC.
The Interim Committee, chaired by World Cup-winning former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, consisted of retired Supreme Court judges S.I. Imam and Rohini Marasinghe, retired High Court judge Irangani Perera, Upali Dharmasena, Attorney-at-Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, and Hisham Jamaldeen. Their appointment was made to oversee the board’s operations until further notice or until an election is held, under the authority granted by the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973.
It was revealed that President Wickremesinghe had not been informed about the sports minister’s decision to appoint the interim committee, its composition, or the suspension of the previous board. Internal sources indicate that the Head of State only became aware of these developments through media reports. Subsequently, the ministerial sub-committee was appointed, with the consent of the Sports Minister and the President, to investigate the sports minister’s actions.
