Sports Ministry exposes SL Cricket Board malpractices to ICC members
By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): Anger over Sri Lanka’s miserable World Cup campaign has erupted after a humiliating 302-run thrashing by India, with the island nation’s sports minister demanding the cricket board’s resignation and informing its malpractices to ICC member countries.
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who has long been at loggerheads with the board and previously accused it of being “traitorous and corrupt”, upped the stakes by telling officials and selectors to quit.
He has individually written to all full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to inform them of the recent controversies concerning the national cricket board.
In a media release issued yesterday (Nov. 04), the Sports Ministry accused Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of misleading the international cricket governing body by implying that it is plagued by political interference.
In his letter, Ranasinghe emphasized that ‘interim measures’ would have to be taken against SLC, assuring that this would be done only to establish good governance principles, to uphold the rule of law and to create a system of governance that promotes ethics and spirit of the game.
He mentioned that cricket in Sri Lanka, since 2015, has seen a gradual degradation in the quality of the sport played both internationally and locally, noting that SLC has been besieged with complaints of player disciplinary issues, management corruption, financial misconduct, and match-fixing allegations.
The lawmaker went on to say that due to the political crises and disasters, no action could be taken against the cricket board despite several ministers before him having initiated inquiries into the purported misconduct of SLC.
Their probes resulted in several reports that substantiate the claims against the SLC officials, he added.
However, recent revelations and audit reports published by the Auditor General’s Department, warrants immediate intervention as the minister in charge to bring the perpetrators of financial crimes before the legal system and to establish good governance and transparency in the Sri Lanka Cricket administration, Ranasinghe said further.
Sri Lanka Cricket boasted that it had surpassed all past revenue rankings and made a colossal Rs 23 billion in profits.
Increase in International Cricket Council (ICC) funding, revenue generated from playing international cricket and sponsorship contracts have all contributed, according to SLC, for the giant leap in the massive financial turnover.
“We have been able to carefully manage our US dollar account in a way to suit the income that we earn,” said SLC secretary Mohan de Silva who himself can count nearly 20 years in cricket administration.
He has resigned from the post sending his letter of resignation to SL cricket board, local media reported.
“Prosperity at SLC has also brought Sri Lanka’s present crop of cricketers untold riches and financial gains in a way that their predecessors who won a World Cup in 1996 did not have and above all made pre-Test era cricketers of the 1970s paupers of their time, thrown into the deep end to fly the flag with nothing asked or given.”
Win or lose it is super luxury pampering for present day players who drive the latest model cars, jet-set to play in enticing Leagues across the globe and get the best Seven-star comforts representing the Sri Lanka team.
