Sri Lanka Cricket in crisis, the Chairman and Secretary to be replaced by July
Financial and moral corruption inside Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has prompted the Supreme Court to take action for an overhaul and investigation in the board’s affairs.
The United Southern Sports Club filed a fundamental rights petition with the court, here on Monday, to expose some managerial loopholes of the SLC.
The SLC has been subject to severe criticism since a month or two, especially after Team http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758’s World Cup demise. The players, the local clubs and the media are lampooning and censuring the board alike.
The current chairman, Somachandra de Silva and secretary, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nishantha-Ranatunga-c79713, have come under fire due to allegations of nepotism, favouritism, financial mismanagement and corruption.
The court has order the sports ministry to ensure the termination of the chairman and secretary at every cost in a bid to eradicate corruption and make the SLC a fair and solid governing body of cricket.
These two designations are likely to be replaced with new heads by July 6.
The court has also directed the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) to initiate an investigation into the financial and managerial matters of the SLC.
Talking to the media, the COPE chairman told, “We have asked the SLC to appear before COPE and answer allegations of discrepancies in its accounts, misappropriations of funds and other irregularities.”
He further elaborated, “The Auditor General has been asked to make available to COPE all documents pertaining to SLC transactions and payments. This is the first time COPE has summoned the SLC for an inquiry.”
In the wake of the World Cup 2011, the SLC faced several issues, including the combined resignation of the selection committee, stepping down of the Team’s captain and the IPL row.
A major problem emerged when the sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, revealed that he was mistreated by the Board of Control for Cricket in Indian (BCCI) officials during Sri Lanka-India final game of the World Cup, bringing the SLC at odds with its
Indian counterpart.
The row between the political authorities and the cricket managers of Sri Lanka has taken its toll on the standard and worth of the game.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning to devise rules to enable all cricket governing bodies to shun political interference and work independently.
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