Sri Lanka Sports Minister defends Interim Cricket Body

Sri Lanka’s sports minister Navin Dissanayake on Friday defended his decision to appoint an interim committee to oversee cricket saying it was his ‘sovereign right’ after the ICC threatened to withhold payments to Sri Lanka.

Dissanayake last month sacked elected members of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and appointed a nine-member interim committee, which was to be headed by former Test batsman Sidath Wettimuny, to run the cricket administration in the country.

“I have every sovereign right to act as the minister. My actions are very much within our laws,” said Dissanayake.

Dissanayake had also called a meeting of the interim committee on Monday to chart the future course of action.

The ICC didn’t approve of the minister’s action and said it was a breach of its constitution, which requires free and fair elections of office-bearers at a member board.

According to the constitution of ICC, “where a government interferes in the administration of cricket by a member, the executive board shall have the power to suspend or refuse to recognise that member.”