Harin revokes Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee

By SHEHAN DANIEL

Sports Minister Harin Fernando yesterday rescinded the Gazette issued by former Minister Roshan Ranasinghe that appointed an Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket, headed by Arjuna Ranatunga, and attempted to dissolve the incumbent administration of SLC. 

“Today, I signed a Gazette to revoke the decision appointing an Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket, aiming to lift our ICC suspension. I’ve also written to the ICC, seeking their observations on the Auditor General’s report on SLC, and to the AG dept for future actions,” Minister Fernando wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

The ICC suspension was imposed on SLC on allegations of political interference in the governing of the sport in the country, and came in the same week Ranasinghe appointed the seven-member Interim Committee and Parliament passed a resolution calling on the SLC administration to resign. 

Sri Lanka lost the hosting rights for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, scheduled for January next year, as a result of the suspension, though it had no impact on its eligibility to participate in international cricket. 

In the aftermath of the suspension, SLC President Shammi Silva told journalists that the ICC, at its November 21 Board Meeting, had informed him that the Interim Committee, headed by Ranatunga, would need to be revoked in order for Sri Lanka to have its full membership with the sport’s world governing body restored.