Sports
Government expected to give green light to new cricket constitution
by Rex Clementine
Following the unceremonious axing of Roshan Ranasinghe as Sports Minister, you expected a few celebrations at Maitland Place. However, the celebrations have been muted. While most Sports Ministers had played ball with SLC, Ranasinghe had turned out to be the cricket establishment’s bete noire.
Harin Ferando had a brief spell as Sports Minister from 2018 to 2019 and he had endorsed the current establishment during his previous stint. However, he has taken over the Sports Ministry at a time when public opinion is dead against the incumbent Executive Committee and he’s said to be treading extra cautiously.
When Minister Ranasinghe’s days were numbered after his outbursts in the Parliament targeting the government hierarchy, several SLPP stalwarts were eyeing the portfolio of sports. Yet, President Ranil Wickremesinghe opted for a confidant of his in Fernando.
Apart from the annual visit to the Royal – Thomian, the President is not an avid follower of the game like some of his other illustrious UNP leaders like J.R. Jayawardene, Gamini Dissanayake (both former SLC Presidents) and Lalith Athulathmudali (a former President of NCC). However, the President had shown a keen interest in cricket in recent years.
This year, Wickremesinghe had already made budget allocations for developing cricket infrastructure in rural areas. His thinking seems to be that the far-off villages too need to be equipped with decent cricket facilities and earlier this week had met some former cricketers to identify regions that need these facilities.
During these meetings, the President seemed to have given an assurance that the cricket issue would be seriously looked at. He seems to be unhappy that the SLC Ex-Co requested the ICC for the suspension of the board.
So, at the moment the priority seems to be to lift the ICC ban. Once the ban is lifted the other course of action will be mooted.
Interestingly, the court is expected to give a verdict on the appointment of the Interim Committee by the former Minister of Sports. SLC had taken a stay order from the court preventing the Interim Committee from functioning. The next move depends on the verdict to be given on Tuesday.
In the meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, a respected President’s Counsel and someone who is known as a straight shooter, has been interviewing stakeholders of the sport to find solutions out of the crisis facing cricket.
Retired Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chithrasiri had presented a comprehensive new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket after a court ruling that gave the green light for amending the constitution having noted that too many paper clubs had voting stakes at the AGM.
It appears that the Executive Committee will be allowed to see the suspension off and will probably be allowed to see through their term which ends next year. Then, the new constitution will be tabled at Parliament along with the amendments to the Sports Law and it should be smooth sailing from thereon.
One of the saliant features in the new constitution is that the number of voting clubs will be considerably reduced and a Board of Governors, comprising professionals will run the show.
However, if the court says that the appointment of the Interim Committee by Roshan Ranasinghe is legal, then the Ex-Co is automatically removed, and the Interim Committee will function until the new Constitution takes effect.
President Wickremesinghe had faced much criticism for removing Roshan Ranasinghe from his post. The Polonnaruwa District MP had taken the cricket administration on fearlessly exposing mass scale corruption. The Audit Report too doesn’t paint the cricket bosses in good picture and the President is compelled to take action, but the ICC suspension might make him go easy.
Under the Yahapalana government too, Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister had authorized changes to SLC governance and late Supreme Court judge Prasanna Jayawardene had prepared a new constitution.
However, on that instance, individuals closer to Maithripala Sirisena had requested the former President to take the Sports Ministry under SLFP and the new constitution that had been mooted died a natural death as the Sports Ministry changed hands from Naveen Dissanayake to Dayasiri Jayasekara.
The national cricket team has hit new lows in the last five years and Sri Lanka have been knocked out from the Champions Trophy. This is the first time the nation will not feature in an ICC event. Unless authorities take note and effect change, there is little doubt that Sri Lankan cricket is heading the same direction as West Indies.
The India and Zimbabwe women’s teams are all set to play an international fixture against each other for the first time when Zimbabwe tour India for white-ball fixtures this October.
The tour comprises three T20Is and three ODIs and will be Zimbabwe’s first visit to India; India are yet to tour Zimbabwe for bilateral fixtures.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, and the ODIs are on October 23, 25 and 28 in Baroda.
The fixtures were announced by the BCCI on Wednesday, along with two home series for the India A women’s side against Australia A in September and England A in December. Both those series comprise three T20s, three List A games and one multi-day fixture.
The India Under-19 women’s team will also host Sri Lanka U-19 in June and July for three T20s and three 50-over games, and England U-19 in November and December for five T20 fixtures.
The Australia A men’s side will tour India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers in September and October, while the Australia U-19 side will visit India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers also in September and October.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Fast bowlers to get more opportunities as new format introduced for Under-15 Division I tourney
The Inter-Schools Under-15 Division I cricket tournament will be conducted under a revamped format this year, with organisers shifting the focus back to limited-overs cricket while introducing new rules aimed at promoting fast bowling.
The tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), will see only the top-tier Division I competition played in a 50-over format. Meanwhile, Division II and Division III matches will continue under the one-day, four-innings structure.
SLSCA Secretary Saman Hettiarachchi said the changes were made following consultations with experts from Sri Lanka Cricket, with a clear objective of providing greater opportunities for pace bowlers.
”We opted for the limited-overs format for Division I in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket. The lower divisions will copete in the innings format as we have observed matches ending early without utilizing the full quota of overs,” Hettiarachchi told ‘The Island’.
A key feature of the revised rules is the compulsory allocation of overs for fast bowlers. In a full 50-over innings, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled by pacemen. Additionally, during the first 10 overs, at least eight overs must be delivered by fast bowlers. If an innings is reduced to 30 overs or fewer, at least six of the first eight overs must be bowled by pace.
”It was made mandatory to give more opportunities to pacemen,” Hettiarachchi explained.
Meanwhile, the official draw for the Division I tournament has been released, featuring 70 teams divided into 16 groups from Group A to Group P for the preliminary round. Each team is guaranteed multiple matches during the opening stage.
Defending champions St. Joseph’s College headline Group A, where they will meet Nalanda College, Dharmapala College, St. John’s College, Lumbini College and De La Salle College.
With traditional cricketing powerhouses spread across the groups, it will be interesting to see how the first round pans out in the new-look tournament.
Under 15 Division I Tournament First Round Groups
GROUP A
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
Nalanda College, Colombo
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya
St. John’s College, Nugegoda
Lumbini College, Colombo
De La Salle College, Colombo
GROUP B
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Presidents’ College, Kotte
Wesley College, Colombo
Carey College, Colombo
Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya
GROUP C
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa
St. Peter’s College, Colombo
C.W.W. Kannangara MV, Colombo
Ashoka College, Colombo
GROUP D
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
Royal College, Colombo
Gurukula College, Kelaniya
Lyceum International School, Wattala
Bandaranayake MMV, Gampaha
St. John’s College, Panadura
GROUP E
De Mazenod College, Kandana
Isipathana College, Colombo
Christ King College, Ja-Ela
Thurstan College, Colombo
Ananda Shastralaya NS, Kotte
St. Joseph Vaz College, Vennappuwa
GROUP F
Mahanama College, Colombo
Piliyandala MMV, Piliyandala
Ananda College, Colombo
Sri Jayawardenapura NS, Kotte
Presidents College, Maharagama
St. Thomas’ College, Kotte
GROUP G
Wadduwa MMV, Wadduwa
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa
Moratu Vidyalaya, Moratuwa
Revatha College, Balapitiya
Royal College, Panadura
GROUP H
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
St. Mary’s College, Kegalle
Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kingswood College, Kandy
Vidyartha College, Kandy
Ibbagamuwa MMV, Ibbagamuwa
GROUP J
Maris Stella College, Negombo
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala
Harischandra College, Negombo
Maliyadeva Adarsha MV, Kurunegala
Galahitiyawa MMV, Ganemulla
Sandalankawa MMV, Sandalankawa
GROUP K
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Royal College, Polonnaruwa
St. Thomas’ College, Matale
Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
GROUP L
Sri Pangnananda MMV, Raddoluwa
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala
St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
Sri Sumangala NS, Wariyapola
St. Peter’s College, Negombo
St. Xavier’s College, Marawila
GROUP M
Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
St. Aloysius College, Galle
Holy Cross College, Kalutara
Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara
Vidyaloka College, Galle
GROUP N
Mahinda College, Galle
Tissa MV, Kalutara
Rahula College, Matara
Debarawewa NS, Debarawewa
St. Thomas’ College, Matara
Meepawala Amarasuriya MV
GROUP P
St. Servatius’ College, Matara
Richmond College, Galle
Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Karandeniya MMV, Karandeniya
P. De S. Kularathna MV, Ambalangoda
President’s College, Embilipitiya.
by Reemus Fernando
With the success the seven MCA men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give Women’s Cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a hard ball Women’s Cricket Tournament for the corporate sector.
With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game.
Even with the measures Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the game’s governing body through the Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) have taken to promote girls cricket in schools, a considerable number of talented players, specially in the provinces do not have an opportunity to be recognized.
It is the MCA’s belief that with the introduction of a MCA Women’s Cricket Tournament, the corporate sector will be encouraged to field teams, and in doing so will give a hand to talented lasses and school leavers by providing them with employment as well as the opportunity to realise their aspirations in the Women’s Cricket arena.
At present in addition to the seven major Men’s tournaments the MCA organise the
Mercantile Six-a-Side tournament, the Over-40 Sixes competition, the 20×20 league, and the esteemed MCA Inter Academy Invitational tournament,
As an initial step, the MCA will be conducting a Women’s six and side soft ball cricket tournament for the corporate sector teams on Saturday 23rd May 2026 at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds.
For further information please contact Chamara on 0759592488 or Prasad 0759809777.
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