President Ranil Wickremesinghe has authorized the Cabinet sub-committee to discuss the Sri Lankan cricket issue with the International Cricket Council (ICC), Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says.
Addressing the parliamentary session this morning (Nov.17), the lawmaker said the ministerial sub-committee has thus requested a meeting with the ICC officials.
As the cricket ordeal continued to snowball, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, on November 06, established a Cabinet sub-committee to look into the gazette notification issued by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe appointing an Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and suspending the existing cricket governing body.
The sub-committee, spearheaded by Minister Ali Sabry, comprises Ministers Tiran Alles, Manusha Nanayakkara and Kanchana Wijesekera.
The minister’s seven-member Interim Committee for SLC was chaired by World Cup-winning former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga. However, as the President had not been notified of the sports minister’s move beforehand. Thus, the ministerial sub-committee was appointed to look into the matter, with the consent of the Sports Minister and the President.
Just a day after the interim committee was formed, the Appeals Court put in place a 14-day stay order preventing the operations of the panel, after considering a writ petition filed by SLC president Shammi Silva. This paved way for the ousted president to return to the cricket board.
Later, the sports minister challenged the stay-order through a motion filed before the Appeals Court. Thus far, three judges including the Appeals Court president, Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne have recused themselves from consideration of the motion.
On November 10, the ICC suspended SLC’s membership with immediate effect, on the grounds that it failed to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there was no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.
Later, the President authorized the Cabinet sub-committee to make decisions pertaining to the ICC’s suspension of SLC’s membership and lifting the temporary ban.
-adaderana
