Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe on Monday sacked the National Cricket Board after the humiliating defeat by India in the World Cup. Ranasinghe has been at odds with Sri Lanka Cricket for months over allegations of large-scale corruption. The country's 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga has been appointed chairman of the new interim board, Ranasinghe's office said in a statement. According to the statement, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has formed an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket.
The new seven-member panel also includes a retired Supreme Court judge and a former chairman of the board. The move comes a day after the board's second-highest official, Secretary Mohan de Silva, resigned. Ranasinghe had publicly demanded the resignation of the entire board following Sri Lanka's 302-run defeat to hosts India in the World Cup last week. Chasing India's target of 358 runs, Sri Lanka at one time lost six wickets for 14 runs and was reduced to 55 runs, which is the fourth-lowest score in the history of the World Cup.
The defeat sparked public anger and police have been deployed outside the board office in Colombo following protests on Saturday. Ranasinghe had said that Sri Lankan cricket officials have no moral or ethical right to continue in office. He said, 'Board officials should resign voluntarily. He had earlier accused the board of being traitors and corrupt. Sri Lanka has to play against Bangladesh on Monday and will need a miracle if they want to make it to the last four of the World Cup.
Ranasinghe had on Saturday written a letter to the full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), seeking mutual understanding and support. In a letter issued to Sri Lankan media, Ranasinghe said, 'Sri Lanka cricket is surrounded by disciplinary issues of players, management corruption, financial misconduct and allegations of match-fixing. The sports minister was forced by the ICC to withdraw the three-member panel appointed last month to probe alleged corruption at the board as it was considered political interference.
The ICC had no immediate reaction to the latest move by Ranasinghe, who sacked the board elected in May, and chairman Shammi Silva, who is serving a third consecutive term. Sri Lanka has not won the World Cup since 1996 and Ranasinghe blamed the board for the poor standard. Prasanna Ranatunga, another cabinet minister, told Parliament in August that the 1996 victory was the biggest curse for our cricket.
He said, 'After 1996, money started coming into the cricket board, and with it came people who wanted to commit theft and corruption.' Former Sports Minister Harin Fernando introduced tough anti-corruption laws in 2019, saying the ICC considered Sri Lanka one of the most corrupt cricket nations in the world.
Also Read: IND vs SA: South African batsmen surrendered before Indian bowlers, made this shameful record in ODI
Team India's spectacular victory in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy was celebrated across t
The Test match being played between Australia and Pakistan in Melbourne has reached an exciting s
Mumbai and Assam Police are looking for YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia aka 'BeerBiceps Guy' for his
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Since the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night and increasing incidents of stubble burning in
An unknown person entered the house of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at 2 o'clock on Thursday nig
The issue of dynasty politics is talked about a lot in the country's politics. Janata Dal (Secula
Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams retired from NASA, the space agency, upon turnin
Kantara Chapter 1: Jr NTR praises 'Kantara Chapter 1', calls Rishabh Shetty a mix of actor-director
Rishabh Shetty's upcoming film "Kantara: Chapter 1" continues to generate considerable buzz. Audi
The 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and kno
