By A comprehensive report addressing the shortcomings in Sri Lanka’s cricket was submitted to President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (January 1st) by the Cabinet Sub-Committee.
The swiftness of the report is noteworthy, completed in just one and a half months since the committee’s formation. Established based on a cabinet decision made on November 6th, the committee, chaired by Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, included key figures like Power & Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, and Labour & Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara.
The committee promptly undertook a thorough investigation, engaging with various stakeholders to identify crucial areas for improvement. These include:
Restructuring Sri Lanka Cricket: Examining the current composition and proposing comprehensive reforms for the organization.
Player Development: Implementing a robust framework for managing, coaching, and ensuring the overall well-being of players at all levels, including national teams (men’s and women’s), U19 and U17 teams.
Good Governance and Best Practices: Benchmarking against successful cricket nations to adopt practices guaranteeing transparency, professionalism, and accountability within the system.
Revamping the Cricket Ecosystem: Overhauling the talent pipeline from schools to district, provincial, and club levels, emphasizing meritocracy, equality, and equity.
To delve deeper into the root causes of the current crisis, the committee plans to consult extensively with key stakeholders. This includes current and former Sports Ministers, Sri Lanka Cricket officials, national team coaches (men’s & women’s), umpires, selectors, youth team coaches, technical advisors, current players led by Wanidu Hasaranga, cricket associations, legal bodies, financial experts, and a committee formed by retired Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chitrasiri.
President Wickremesinghe welcomed the report and affirmed his commitment to implementing its recommendations. He further announced plans to present both the report and a draft of the new Sports Act to Parliament soon.
