ICC ‘HOLDS’ SLC FUNDING.

In a major blow to Sri Lankan cricket and its governance, the world’s highest cricket authority the ICC has put on hold a stipulated amount that was part of periodic funding towards development of cricket in the island nation.

Earlier the SLC’s cricket board had been scrapped by the government’s Sports ministry, and a nine member interim committee headed by Sidath Wettimuny, replaced the same on March 31. The appointments were presided over by the Sri Lankan Sports minister Navin Dissanayake.

On Thursday the ICC officials met to discuss if the Sports Ministry’s actions were a breach of a code of conduct laid by the ICC’s Constitution which calls for free and fair elections towards electing any member of the board.

However the Sri Lankan Sports minister Mr Dissanayake, calmly responded to the move by stating that the country’s cricket required ‘cleaning up’ and the appointed nine member committee was put forward to carry out the process. He also added that the committee would help improve cricket’s structure in the country and also called it a ‘very transparent process’.

Ironically, former Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya was a member of the last elected committee of the SLC, as well the chairman of the selectors in the SLC for a period of two years.

Previously, from January 2012 to March 2015, the SLC used to elect its members, and prior to that, from 2004 to 2012, interim committees were formed, however this is the first time the ICC has held back the SLC funding.

Edited by Aashna Bakshi