Sri Lanka Cricket shake-up: Why did its president and entire board resign?

Sri Lanka Cricket is set for a major overhaul after president Shammi Silva and the entire SLC board resigned. The government is expected to appoint an interim committee, though the move could draw scrutiny from the ICC given past conflicts over similar interventions.

In Short

• President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had pressed for changes in SLC amid public pressure
• Shammi Silva has been SLC president since February 2019
• A Tuesday executive committee meeting reportedly settled the collective move

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is undergoing a major overhaul following mass resignations from its board and executive committee, initiated by president Shammi Silva on Wednesday. The move comes after Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake insisted on a change in leadership within the national cricket body amid public pressure and ongoing allegations of financial irregularities.

The government is now likely to appoint an interim committee to take over the administration of the country’s beleaguered cricket operations.

“The president of Sri Lanka Cricket, Mr Shammi Silva, has tendered his resignation from the post, effective today,” an SLC media release said. “Along with him, the office bearers and members of the Executive Committee of SLC have also submitted their resignations.”

The statement added that the decision to resign was formally communicated to President Dissanayake and the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage. Reportedly, the resignations followed a meeting of the SLC executive committee on Tuesday, where the decision to step down en masse was taken.

Silva first became SLC president in February 2019, replacing Thilanga Sumathipala, who also faced corruption-related allegations during his tenure. Although Silva was initially seen as close to Sumathipala, he gradually consolidated his position, serving four consecutive terms, with three elections going unopposed.

During his seven-year tenure, consistent global success remained elusive for Sri Lanka, despite the men’s and women’s teams winning Asia Cup titles. The men’s team suffered a decline in rankings and endured disappointing exits at the 2023 ODI World Cup (finishing ninth) and the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, the latter co-hosted by Sri Lanka. Even the recent appointment of Gary Kirsten as head coach of the men’s team has failed to ease calls for a leadership overhaul.

POSSIBLE ICC INTERVENTION?

This development could trigger further complications with the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has previously been reluctant to accept interim administrations in Sri Lanka Cricket. In 2015, the ICC refused to recognise the Wettimuny-led committee, treating them only as “observers” and withholding funding until elections were held. In 2018, when Kamal Padmasiri was appointed as a competent authority, the ICC set a strict six-month deadline for elections, warning of sanctions if the board remained under state control.

In November 2023, when then sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe used statutory powers to dissolve the board, the ICC responded by suspending Sri Lanka’s membership. This led to the withdrawal of funding and the relocation of the Under-19 World Cup. The ICC’s stance has consistently been that it will only recognise democratically elected leadership, regardless of domestic corruption allegations.

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