Sri Lankan Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has written individually to all ICC full member countries to inform them about recent controversies surrounding Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Minister has also hinted at a possible interim arrangement to govern Sri Lanka Cricket.”

“In light of these circumstances, I would like to emphasize that interim measures will only be taken to establish good governance principles, uphold the rule of law, and create a system of governance that promotes the ethics and spirit of the game we all love” Minister said.

Full Letter 

Board of Control for Cricket India

4th Floor, Cricket Centre,

Wankhede Stadium “D” Road,

Churchgate, Mumbai

400020, India.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to your Cricket Board as the Minister of Sports of Sri Lanka and in your capacity as a full member state of ICC (International Cricket Council) to inform you of the recent controversies surrounding Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sri Lanka became a Full Member of the ICC in 1981, six years after its establishment in 1975. Sri Lanka Cricket has been the stamp of authority on the local cricketing map under the mandate of the Ministry of Sports and is focused on upholding the cricketing heritage of the country. The Sri Lanka cricket team has reached the World Cup final three times. Winning in 1996 under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga and finishing as runners-up in the 2007 & 2011 World Cups. Sri Lanka has also reached the semi-final at the 2003 World Cup and the quarter-final at the 2015 World Cup.

Since 2015, Sri Lanka Cricket has seen a gradual degradation in the quality of Cricket played internationally and locally. Whereas, Sri Lanka Cricket has been besieged with complaints of player disciplinary issues, management corruption, financial misconduct, and match-fixing allegations. Over the years, multiple ministers before me have initiated inquiries into the alleged misconduct of Sri Lanka Cricket. These investigations have resulted in several reports that substantiate the claims against the officials of Sri Lanka Cricket. Due to political crises and disasters, no action was taken on those reports. However, the recent revelations and Audit Reports published by the Independent Auditor General Department of the country 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. A copy of the latest audit report by the Auditor General Department is attached. Please refer to (Reference 12.13).

As the Minister of Sports in the country, my sole duty is to combat corruption and establish good governance and discipline in all sporting bodies. It has now transpired that the management conduct of Sri Lanka Cricket has spiralled into player conduct and discipline, resulting in many disciplinary inquiries on Sri Lanka cricketers. Many sports enthusiasts criticize the Board for creating a betting-friendly environment, which they believe devalues the ethics and spirit of the game. The local cricketing fixtures are now solely sponsored by betting companies and illegal cryptocurrency scams, which are banned and blacklisted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The mismanagement of Sri Lanka Cricket has resulted in significant losses for the country. The team has been severely affected in all departments due to injuries sustained by a few of the main players in a cricket league held just a month before the World Cup, causing a major setback.

Sri Lanka Cricket has been loosely arguing and alleging that there is “political interference” on my part and the Ministry of Sports ever since I inquired into their financial misconduct and made comments on their conduct. I want to stress the fact that neither myself nor any governmental authority has impinged on the operations of Sri Lanka Cricket in any aspect.

Further, it has become a habit by the part of Sri Lanka Cricket to hold the threat of suspension of ICC membership as a symbol of blackmail, not to act against their own financial misconduct.

As the Minister of Sports, I have made courteous efforts to communicate with the ICC Chairman and the CEO. My goal was to educate the board on the recent revelations and to cooperate with the ICC. I want to ensure a smooth transition of the governing board of Sri Lanka and to guarantee that good governance and transparency mechanisms are in place. Unfortunately, the ICC Chair and CEO have made an impractical demand that requires endorsement from Sri Lanka Cricket for the members I appointed to communicate the misconduct of Sri Lanka Cricket officials.

Sri Lanka and other member states have undergone such periods with interim arrangements to counter issues with governance in the past. I want to point out that even during those periods, there hasn’t been a single accusation about political interference in the operations of those appointed members. In contrast, I would like to point out that as the Government of Sri Lanka, we have encouraged Cricket dynamism to grow and prosper with government contribution, as we have completely removed all taxes from Sri Lanka Cricket and Cricket Players’ income, and further Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports spend a considerable amount of money on developing School cricket which is the breeding ground of Sri Lanka Cricket. Moreover, all Cricket Grounds in the country have been afforded special grants and facilities as the government policy is to promote cricket as a main sport in the country.

In light of these circumstances, I would like to emphasize that interim measures will only be taken to establish good governance principles, uphold the rule of law, and create a system of governance that promotes the ethics and spirit of the game we all love. I hope this clarifies the purpose of the measures and reaffirms our commitment to fairness and transparency.

Thank You