Cricket Sri Lanka‘s latest attempt to overhaul its cricket governance has hit an early snag, with the newly appointed Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC) and visiting ICC powerbrokers appearing misaligned on how quickly sweeping reforms should be implemented across the country’s cricket administration.
For the record, the previous Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) administration, led by Shammi Silva, stepped down last month. In its aftermath, the Sports Ministry moved to stabilise the game’s governance by appointing a nine-member CTC, tasked with supervising SLC operations on an interim basis and driving structural reforms ahead of the fresh board elections.
What We Know So Far
An ICC delegation featuring deputy chairperson Imran Khwaja and board member Devajit Saikia, who also serves as BCCI secretary, then flew to Sri Lanka for discussions with the CTC. The delegation held meetings in Colombo aimed at mapping out a reform roadmap, although the participants have not officially disclosed what transpired behind closed doors.
According to the sources close to us and familiar with the discussions, the CTC presented its proposed reform framework to the visiting ICC officials. However, while acknowledging the need for a change, the committee seemed reluctant to commit to the specific implementation schedule put forward by the global governing body.
CTC representative’s thoughts on the matter so far
There was a media report that came out on Monday, which cited a CTC representative involved in the talks. He stated, “We have to fall in line with the ICC rules and re running regulations. We told the ICC we are totally transparent with nothing to hide.” The remark underlined the committee’s insistence that it was cooperating fully, even as it pushed back on the question of timelines.
ICC’s role in this whole episode
The ICC, for its part, has set out a draft constitution blueprint aimed at overhauling Sri Lanka Cricket’s governance model. The proposed framework would need to undergo an extensive domestic legal process, beginning with scrutiny by the Attorney General’s Department and the Legal Draftsman’s office, before any finalised version could be tabled in parliament for final approval.
The officials involved in the process have pointed out to the ICC that the parliamentary route itself is lengthy. Both the second and third readings in the legislature were described as time-consuming, adding further delays to any attempt to bring the new cricket law into force.
Against this backdrop, the CTC appears inclined to proceed based on the draft Act dated August 12, 2023, which had been drawn up by a committee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge KT Chithrasiri. That document, titled the Sri Lanka Cricket Board Act of 2023, proposed a governance model in which SLC would be managed by an 18-member directorate, with 8 appointed members and 10 elected representatives forming the new administrative structure.
What’s Next for Sri Lankan cricket?Â
Sri Lankan cricket will have to adopt these reforms, and one hopes this snag and delay are sorted, and they can overhaul the administrative issues. As far as the cricket team goes, Sri Lanka will be back in action in June. Sri Lanka is set to visit the West Indies for the whole series, comprising ODIs, T20IS, and Test matches. It’s going to be a long tour against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
Sri Lanka will aim to do well and win the series there, as this will be a battle of the strugglers in international cricket. We have to wait and watch how things pan out there. But the Lankans need to get their off-field issues sorted before they can step on the field. Sri Lanka will fancy their chances against the West Indies and compete in all three formats.
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