Sri Lanka: Appeals Court issues interim order against Cricket Interim Committee

Colombo [Sri Lanka]: Several Hours after Sri Lanka Sports Minister Roshan Ranasingha established an interim committee led by 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga to take control of SLC on Monday, the Court of Appeal on Tuesday issued an interim order suspending the operation of the Gazette appointing in respect of cricket governing body’s Interim Committee appointed by the Sports Minister, Daily Mirror Online reported.

According to Daily Mirror Online, this order was issued by the Court of Appeal in response to a writ petition brought by SLC President Shammi Silva. This order is only valid for 14 days. The court granted board president Shammi Silva’s plea, which challenged minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s decision to dissolve the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and form an interim committee on Monday.

Earlier, the Sri Lanka Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe suspended the whole Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, the Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror reported on Monday. Ranasinghe also appointed an Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), chaired by World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranasinghe appointed Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning captain in 1996, to oversee a new interim board. A retired Supreme Court judge and a former board president are among the seven members of the newly constituted body.

Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror reported that hours after Sports Minister Roshan Ranasingha had appointed the interim committee headed by Ranatunga he was admonished by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Daily Mirror reported that the Sri Lankan President was made aware that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board had been suspended and an interim committee was appointed only by seeing the messages on the news.

The President had also told his Sports Minister that politicizing the Sri Lanka Cricket Board could lead to Sri Lanka losing its membership in the ICC.

Sri Lanka’s disastrous 302-run World Cup loss to India last week, in which they were 14-6 at one stage and eventually dismissed for 55, sparked public outrage.

Sri Lanka currently stand at number 8 in the standings having lost 6 of the 8 matches they have played in this world cup.