The Sri Lanka Cricket board was sacked by the government on Monday, in light of their national team’s disastrous show in the ongoing World Cup in India. This action was taken in response to widespread public dissatisfaction and the call from Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe for the Shammi Silva-led SLC administration to step down, which came after Sri Lanka’s 302-run drubbing against India in Mumbai on November 2.
In an earlier statement, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe strongly criticized Sri Lanka Cricket, accusing the organization of disloyalty and corruption. He demanded the immediate resignation of board members after Sri Lanka’s heavy defeat to India. Subsequently, Mohan de Silva, who held the second-highest position in Sri Lanka Cricket, resigned on November 4, coinciding with fan protests outside the board’s headquarters.
Sri Lanka found themselves at 14-6 at one point and were eventually all out for 55, marking the fourth-lowest World Cup total in history while chasing India’s 358 in Mumbai on Thursday. Following this defeat, several demonstrations were organized outside the SLC premises, demanding the resignation of the Silva administration.
The former captain who led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup, Arjuna Ranatunga, has now been appointed as the head of a fresh interim board, as stated in a release from Ranasinghe’s office. This marks the return of Ranatunga, who had previously chaired a similar interim committee in 2008, to oversee the administration of Sri Lankan cricket.
“Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has established an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket,” the statement said. The new seven-member panel also includes a retired Supreme Court judge and a former board president.
Silva was elected as SLC chief in May for his third consecutive term, which was to run until 2025.
Sri Lanka are virtually eliminated from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, having won only 2 out of the 9 matches they have played so far. They will face the 9th-placed Bangladesh team today in Delhi, who have already been knocked out of the tournament.