Sports
Sidath welcomes move to change SLC constitution
by Rex Clementine
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has won many admirers in cricket circles for giving an undertaking to the court that he will initiate constitutional reforms to Sri Lanka Cricket and keeping to his word, he has appointed a ten member committee headed by Supreme Court judge K. T. Chitrasiri. The committee will work with the ICC and come up with a new constitution for SLC that has come under fire for having too many voting clubs at the AGM.
Respected former cricketer Sidath Wettimuny, who was one of the 12 petitioners who went before the court highlighting flaws in cricket administration welcomed the move by the Minister of Sports.
“Hats off to the current Sports Minister for realizing that this is such a crucial matter and agreeing to bring in reforms. We have come so close to changing the constitution, but in the 11th hour those efforts were crushed . Like in 2015 when former Supreme Court Judge Prasanna Jayawardene had come up with a new constitution. The ICC had given the green light. We had the blessings of the then Prime Minister but still couldn’t push it through,” noted Wettimuny, who headed the cricket board in 2015 and worked towards the change of constitution.
When the Yahapalanaya government came into power in 2015, efforts had been taken to bring in constitutional reforms to SLC with the full backing of then Sports Minister Naveen Dissanayake. But with President Maithripala Sirisena taking over the Sports Ministry to the SLFP, constitutional reforms were stalled and elections were called.
“Ideally we would like to see a Board which is less politically driven with less votes. A system which is free of corruption and has more transparency and accountability,” Wettimuny added.
“We’ve had so many issues over the years. I have been in eight Interim Committees and they were put in place because there were problems,” stressed Wettimuny.
The current voting system that is in place doesn’t allow some of the best qualified men and women to get elected at SLC AGMs. For example, Kumar Sangakkara created history by becoming the first non British MCC President. But if he contests SLC elections, he may not only lose but his own beloved NCC will stop entirely supporting him. NCC infamously split their vote at the 1996 AGM that saw the ouster of Ana Punchihewa as SLC President.
Neighbours SSC aren’t a paragon of virtue either. The club that named a gate after former captain Arjuna Ranatunga months later at the SLC AGM refused to vote for him. There was a storm of protest within the club and at next SSC AGM, members turned up in numbers to ouster the Executive Committee.
“We need to have a constitution that attracts top, quality, independent and respected individuals. I’m really happy we have a Minister who is happy to look at the constitution. Now we have to hope the gentlemen in the committee will come up with a good proposal,” added Wettimuny. Roshan Ranasinghe may not be a popular man among his political colleagues but his popularity among Sri Lankan cricket fans around the world is soaring.
(Cricbuzz)
The remainder of the tenth edition of the PSL has been moved to the UAE amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and India. The PCB has said that the dates and venues of the remaining eight games in the PSL 2025 season would be officially confirmed in due course.
On Thursday, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were due to play a game at the Rawalpindi Stadium, which was rescheduled following an emergency meeting. At the meeting, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players in the league, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
ESPNcricinfo understands that foreign players are already on their way out of Pakistan to the UAE, where the rest of the league will be played. It is likely to be several days before the next game is played as the PCB works out which venues to play the games at.
The original schedule would have seen four of the remaining games in Rawalpindi, one in Multan, and the final three in Lahore. An earlier update from the PCB had said the league would be rescheduled, but did not confirm at the time it would be taken out of Pakistan, with Karachi considered a likely option.
The PSL, now in its tenth season, is familiar with the UAE, having started there back in 2016. It was played there in full – barring the PSL 2017 final – for the first two seasons. Part of season six, in 2021, also had to be played in the UAE because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any delays to the PSL are likely to impact Pakistan’s international calendar, too. Bangladesh are due to arrive in Pakistan three days after the PSL final, originally slated for May 18, with the first of five T20Is to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that no decision had yet been taken on the fate of that series.
(Cricinfo)
Bangladesh Under 19s won the six-match Youth ODI series 3-2 after the final Youth ODI against Sri Lanka Under 19s ended without a result due to rain at the Colts ground on Thursday.
Sri Lanka came to the final match with the hope of leveling the series but rain prevented a full match.
Deciding to bat first, the visitors were 188 for three wickets in the 40th over when rain prevented further play.
Skipper Azizul Hakim led Bangladesh with 94 runs inclusive of seven fours and two sixes. For the hosts, Tharusha Navodya, Kugathas Mathulan and Himal Ravihansa took a wicket each.
Sri Lanka Under 19s won the opening encounter by a big margin but three consecutive defeats thereafter saw the visitors take command. Sri Lanka Under 19s bounced back in the penultimate match to keep alive the series but rain spoilt their plans in the final encounter.
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