Cricket fiasco: Cabinet decides future interim committees subject to its approval

CA Prez, another recuses themselves from hearing Minister’s appeal

The appointment of interim committees to run Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) hereafter must be subject to approval by the Cabinet of Ministers, the government has decided.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe advised the ministerial sub-committee tasked with handling cricket matters to address the ICC suspension of Sri Lanka in the wake of Parliament adopting a unanimous resolution to ask SLC bosses to step down, according to the Presidential Media Division.

Meanwhile, Court of Appeal (CA) President, Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne has recused himself from the hearing of a motion filed by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, seeking the annulment of the stay order issued against the SLC Interim Committee headed by former national Cricket Captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

The declaration was made when the motion was called before the Appellate Court bench comprising Justice Karunaratne himself and Justice Vikum Kaluarachchi.

In addition, it was decided that the motion be heard before a new bench of the CA.

Subsequently, CA judge Dhammika Ganepola, too, recused himself from hearing the controversial cricket case.

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, on Monday (13 Nov.), filed a motion requesting the lifting of a CA stay order that prevented the operation of the seven-member Interim Committee appointed by him for the SLC and the relevant gazette notification published in this regard.

The motion including the objections related to the relevant stay order has been filed before CA through Attorney-at-Law G.G. Arulpragasam.

On November 07, the Court of Appeal issued 14-day stay orders preventing the operation of the seven-member Interim Committee appointed for the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the relevant gazette notification issued by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in this regard, after considering a writ petition filed by the Chairman of SLC Shammi Silva.

Accordingly, the court issued three stay orders pertaining to the matter: the first to prevent the gazette issued by the Sports Minister appointing the interim committee for the SLC, the second to prevent the committee members chaired by Arjuna Ranatunga from acting in their respective positions and the third to prevent the respondents including the Sports Minister from interfering in the activities of the petitioner and the other officials of the cricket board.