Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva, committee members submit mass resignation; ICC could force sanctions

SLC Prez Shammi Silva and other committee members met with the Sri Lankan president last Friday, and have been replaced by an interim committee.

SLC President Shammi Silva has stepped down from his role at the helm of Sri Lankan Cricket, tendering his resignation alongside other executive committee members. This follows after a meeting with Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake last week, as concerns regarding corruption and allegations of financial mismanagement created public fervour around the board.

Shammi Silva stepped down after a seven-year spell as SLC president. (SLC)

"The president of Sri Lanka Cricket, Mr Shammi Silva, has tendered his resignation from the post, effective today," confirmed an SLC media release, ending his seven-year tenure during which Silva won four consecutive terms.

An ESPNcricinfo report stated that the interim committee will be appointed directly via the Sri Lankan government, helmed by former member of parliament Eran Wickramaratne as well as former cricketers Sidath Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama.

As per the report, the office holders and executives within the SLC met with the President and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage last Friday, with the writing already being on the wall with regard to the tenure given, due to incessant pressure to remove the leaders following claims of corruption within the board.

SL hope to avoid ICC ire

The report further claims that in order to get around potential sanctions by the ICC, which comes down hard against state interference in cricketing boards worldwide, it was essential that the situation be framed as a voluntary resignation stemming from administrative failure, rather than a judicial call-to-order from the state heads.

As a result, Friday’s meeting was to hold negotiations regarding a ‘cordial’ end to Silva’s tenure, one where he would step down rather than hold out and wait for a sacking on behalf of the government.

“All administrative functions of Sri Lanka Cricket will be temporarily brought under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, effective today,” added the press release, indicating that the immediate response would be to place the board under state control before proper full elections can take place.

Allegations of corruption and misconduct followed Silva’s tenure, including a hostile stand-off against former sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe, which led to the latter’s ouster in 2023. This incident had forced the ICC to withhold funding and membership recognition three years ago, demanding it would only recognise an elected body.