Change in Sri Lanka Cricket, constructive discussions with the ICC

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)’s newly formed transformation committee has said it held positive discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) amid major government-backed changes within the country’s cricket administration.

According to committee member Sidath Wettimuny, their discussions with ICC deputy chairman Imran Khwaja were “cordial and constructive.” Khwaja visited Sri Lanka over the past few days and, during his trip, met not only with members of the new committee but also with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The new transformation committee was appointed after the Dissanayake government removed the previous board. However, the ICC has previously punished Sri Lanka Cricket over allegations of government interference. In 2023, SLC was temporarily suspended due to what the ICC described as “extensive government interference.” Earlier, in 2015, the ICC had also frozen funding after an interim committee was appointed by the government at the time.

The current committee, however, insists that its primary objective is to reform Sri Lanka Cricket’s outdated constitution before eventually handing control over to a newly elected administration.

So far, the ICC has not made any official comment regarding the administrative changes at SLC.

The nine-member committee, officially announced on April 30, includes former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, Sidath Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama among its members. Representatives from the corporate, legal and political sectors have also been included, while former parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne has been appointed chairman.

After the committee was announced, Wettimuny said, “Our immediate priority is a complete overhaul of SLC’s governance structure. The implementation of a new constitution will be the cornerstone of this effort, creating a modern and strong foundation for the sport.”

Meanwhile, chairman Wickramaratne said improving on-field performance would be their second major priority. “We will focus on building world-class infrastructure, systems and incentive models for the national teams. Our goal is to help Sri Lanka return to the top tier of international cricket,” he said.