Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe yesterday lashed out at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), alleging that they had sent misleading letters to the International Cricket Council (ICC) while local legal proceedings were underway.
Minister Ranasinghe was addressing a press conference at the Sports Ministry in Colombo yesterday. The Minister asserted that the actions taken against SLC were not impulsive but the result of a thorough one-year process. He emphasized the involvement of the Kusala Sarojini Committee, which conducted an inquiry into the matter and revealed a series of irregularities.
The Minister said attempts were seemingly being made to sweep the matter under the carpet, citing the letters sent to the ICC by SLC during the ongoing inquiry. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Minister Ranasinghe referred to the Auditor General’s Report covering the years 2017-2019, COPE reports from 2018 and 2019, and the 2022 Audit Report. He insisted that these reports provided evidence of mismanagement within SLC. The Minister stressed that the legal actions taken were in accordance with the Sports Law of Sri Lanka, promulgated in 1973, and that the Auditor General had advised the Ministry to pursue legal avenues. He pointed out that an Interim Committee had been appointed to the Sri Lanka Karate Association in a similar scenario.
Regarding SLC’s communications with the ICC, Minister Ranasinghe revealed that former cricketer Asantha de Mel, appointed to represent the Sports Minister in the SLC, was not invited to crucial Executive Committee meetings. Despite the absence of such meetings, the SLC allegedly sent letters to the ICC on November 6, 7 and 9, a move the Minister described as an attempt to mislead the international body.
The Minister noted the resignation of SLC Vice President K. Mathivanan and Secretary Mohan de Silva. He said SLC officials had refused to adhere to good governance practices and prevented the implementation of necessary reforms.
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