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Opposition Leader piles on evidence against SLC President for betraying the country

Published

2 years ago

2023/11/20

By Saman Indrajith

Opposition SJB leader Sajith Premadasa on Saturday told Parliament that the International Cricket Council imposed a suspension on Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership on the basis of a series of lies.Premadasa said that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva had sent a letter to the ICC alleging that the Sports Ministry had made undue interference in SLC’s activities.

Tabling the letter, the Opposition Leader said the letter sent to ICC Chairman Greg Barclay on August 28, 2023 contained five allegations and an additional point.

He said the letter had levelled allegations against the Sports Ministry claiming that the Director General of Sports had unduly influenced cricket tournaments in the country, that the Sports Ministry secretary had requested salaries paid to the office bearers of the SLC, that the Sports Minister had influenced the SLC to obtain permission to hold the LPL tournament, that the Sports Minister had influenced to draft the SLC Constitution and that the draft audit report had been leaked.

The charge against the Sports Ministry and Director General of Sports intervening in tournaments is a lie, Premadasa said. Cricket tournaments are held in four levels namely; Tier B, Tier A, Governor and Premier. It goes up on the basis of merit. The SLC suspended this merit system for a short period during which they formed many clubs and settled players in them to secure the votes of those clubs in the next election for office bearers.

As we know that there are only around 30 clubs that actually play cricket. Others are namesake clubs. The questioning by the Sports Director General of the activities that took place during that short period the SLC suspended the merit system has been misinterpreted by SLC as an undue intervention.

The information pertaining to salaries and allowances paid to the SLC officials had been sought by the Ministry in order to provide an answer to a question that had been raised in Parliament. The SLC has not submitted those details to this House and described seeking that information as an undue political intervention.

The third charge by the SLC is that a pressure exerted by the Sports Minister to obtain permission for the LPL tournament. The LPL tournament has been held without the ministry’s permission which is needed to ensure the security of the players and to ensure that the tournament would be held within regulations such as anti-doping laws. This has been interpreted as an attempt to interfere with SLC matters. This LPL was sponsored by questionable sponsors. The main sponsor was a financial institution by the name of MTFE banned by the Central Bank. There is another sponsor by the name of 1XBet, which is an online gambling firm. And another by the name of Bet365, a betting company. The ministry questioning these irregularities has been described as intervention.

The fourth charge was alleged interference in the drafting of the SLC Constitution. Who was preparing this constitution? It was not the minister or his ministry but the former veteran players namely Muttiah Muralitharan, Sidath Wettimuny and Michael Tissera. This attempt has been interpreted as political interference.

The SLC letter to ICC contains another accusation – leaking of the draft audit report. Their allegation was that the draft audit report contained matters detrimental to the SLC. Now the final audit report has come. The final audit report is far more damaging than the draft report. So how does the SLC say that the draft report has been detrimental and describe it as a political interference?

Premadasa said the letter contained one additional point which said the Sports Minister influenced the SLC to contribute 20 percent of the SLC funds to the National Sports Fund. There is nothing abnormal in this request. In India too the same happens. Indian Cricket gives 20 percent of their funds to develop other sports.

The Opposition Leader said these allegations and another communiqué sent earlier had created the atmosphere for the ICC to impose the ban on Sri Lanka Cricket.

He said this is a betrayal of Sri Lanka Cricket by its president and demanded action against him.Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga said it was serious when the Opposition Leader had revealed it with written evidence and requested the Speaker to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to look into the allegations.

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Related Topics:Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa

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Deep Depression likely to cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026)

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/10

Priyan

Warning for deep depression to the East of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 01.30 a.m. on 10 January 2026 for the period until 01.30 a.m. on 11 January 2026

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located about 50 km North-northeast of Trincomalee at 01:00 a.m. on 10 January 2026. It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026).

Latest News

Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane

Published

18 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.

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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister

Published

21 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.

The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.

Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .

The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.

The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.

Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,

“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.

At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.

Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:

“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”

The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.