Cricket associations over 20 years will be dissolved: Minister

• Says SLC has withdrawn 2Mn dollars and transferred it to another bank account

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana 

Steps would be taken to dissolve all cricket associations in Sri Lanka that have been operating for more than twenty years and to go for a fresh election, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said yesterday.  

The Minister said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will be handed over to former captain Arjuna Ranatunga for a brief period for the task of rebuilding if SLC is suspended by the ICC. 

“We will hand over the task of rebuilding Sri Lanka Cricket to former captain Arjuna Ranatunga for six to eight months in the event Sri Lanka is suspended by the ICC. We will enact the Sports Act, go for an election, and then we can go for other matches. We need the approval from parliament to proceed with that plan,” he told Parliament. 
The Minister said this while responding to an allegation made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa that a conspiracy has been hatched to get Sri Lanka suspended by the ICC. 

He also said the two million dollars which was withdrawn by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) from a bank in Colombo on Thursday had been transferred to another bank account. 

The Minister said cheques are being issued by the SLC and SLC funds are being spent hurriedly. 

• We will enact the Sports Act, go for an election, and then we can go for other matches