COLOMBO, September 30: Sri Lanka Cricket is set for its biggest proposed administrative overhaul in decades following the publication of a new Bill that seeks to replace the existing framework governing the sport with a statutory system built around independent oversight, elected representation, tighter eligibility rules and greater financial accountability.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Bill 2026, published in a Gazette supplement dated September 25 and issued on September 28, proposes establishing Sri Lanka Cricket as a statutory body corporate responsible for the governance, regulation, promotion, development and administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.
The Bill has already received Attorney General’s clearance and follows Cabinet approval for legislation to restructure Sri Lanka Cricket. It is, however, important to note that the Bill is not yet law and must go through the parliamentary process before its provisions can take effect.
If enacted in its present form, the legislation would fundamentally alter the composition of the SLC Board, the manner in which directors are elected or appointed, voting rights of member organisations, eligibility for office and the mechanisms through which the cricket administration would be subjected to financial and governance scrutiny.
14-member Board
At the centre of the proposed reforms is a new 14-member Board of Directors, divided equally between seven Independent Directors and seven Elected Directors.
The Independent Directors would be nominated through a new Nominations Committee, while the seven Elected Directors would be chosen by eligible voting members of Sri Lanka Cricket.
At least two of the seven Independent Directors must be women, while the chairperson would be selected from among the Independent Directors. The deputy chairperson would be selected from the Elected Directors.
The proposed Independent Director structure is designed to bring professional expertise into the administration. The categories include a Chartered Accountant, an Attorney-at-Law, a former international cricketer, an information technology professional, a marketing professional and two other professionals with relevant expertise.
The qualifications specified in the proposed framework include at least 15 years’ membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka for the accounting position and at least 15 years of active legal practice for the Attorney-at-Law position.
The former international cricketer would have to have played at least 15 international matches and must not have played international cricket during the preceding 36 months. The IT and marketing positions are similarly intended to bring specialist corporate expertise into the Board.
Four-year terms and limits on tenure
The proposed legislation also seeks to prevent directors from remaining in office indefinitely.
Independent Directors would serve four-year terms and could be reappointed for one further term. Elected Directors would also serve four-year terms, with their aggregate period of service capped at eight years.
The term-limit provisions would therefore introduce a statutory ceiling on the period an individual could remain within the Board, potentially reducing the possibility of prolonged control by the same individuals.
Major restrictions on who can serve
One of the most extensive sections of the proposed legislation concerns disqualification from Board membership.
Section 7 sets out a broad range of circumstances in which an individual would be prevented from being appointed or elected, or from continuing as an Independent or Elected Director.
The restrictions include Members of Parliament, Provincial Councillors and members of local authorities. Employees of Sri Lanka Cricket, members of the Nominations Committee and office-bearers of SLC member organisations would also face restrictions.
The Bill also seeks to exclude people with certain criminal convictions, including specified offences involving moral turpitude, fraud, dishonesty, corruption and violence, subject to the conditions and time periods set out in the legislation.
Those previously removed from SLC positions for specified misconduct, breach of duty or disciplinary reasons would also be restricted.
Another significant provision concerns the media. Individuals who have worked as professional journalists for print or electronic media within the specified three-year period would be disqualified, while restrictions would also apply to owners, co-owners or major shareholders of media organisations.
The Bill also addresses potential conflicts involving the playing and commercial sides of cricket.
Parents and siblings of players in the National Pool or National Team would be disqualified, while restrictions would apply to coaches, match officials, player agents and managers in circumstances specified in the legislation.
People involved in certain cricket-related commercial activities, including specified suppliers of sports goods and equipment, sports training schools and financial services connected with cricket, would also face restrictions.
The proposed framework further contains provisions dealing with betting, gaming and wagering interests, including certain interests and employment involving immediate family members. Individuals subject to specified bans or penalties imposed by bodies such as the ICC, ACC, Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, SLC or affiliated cricket bodies for offences including corruption, betting, match-fixing, spot-fixing, prohibited substances or misuse of insider information would also be barred under the relevant provisions.
The breadth of Section 7 means eligibility would depend not only on a candidate’s own position and record, but in some circumstances on family relationships and previous professional or sporting activities.
New voting structure
The Bill also proposes a significant change to the electoral structure of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Membership would be divided into different categories, including Tier A, Tier B and Tier C, with voting rights attached to the categories.
Tier A members would have two votes, while Tier B members and Provincial Cricket Associations would have one vote each. Tier C members would be permitted to attend general meetings as observers but would not have voting rights.
The proposed structure therefore retains elected representation while changing the weight attached to different categories of membership.
The Bill also links membership categories to requirements relating to membership numbers, competitive participation and governance.
This could become one of the most consequential parts of the reform because the voting structure will determine which organisations have the greatest influence over the seven elected positions on the new Board.
Greater financial scrutiny
Financial accountability is another central component of the proposed legislation.
The new Sri Lanka Cricket would be required to maintain audited accounts, with annual reports submitted to Parliament and published.
The proposed framework also provides for greater disclosure relating to directors, including remuneration and benefits, attendance and significant decisions, while requiring information relating to donations and other financial matters to be made available.
The Minister responsible for Sports would have powers under the Bill to initiate audits and inquiries into credible allegations of corruption, financial irregularities or governance failures. Depending on the findings and applicable provisions, the legislation provides mechanisms that could lead to action against individual directors or the Board.
The Bill also provides for specialised committees dealing with areas such as cricket, finance and audit, investment, selection, discipline and disputes, governance and integrity, women’s cricket and school cricket.
A Chief Executive Officer and Compliance Officer would also form part of the proposed administrative structure, separating day-to-day administration and compliance functions from the Board’s governance responsibilities.
Relationship with the Sports Law
Perhaps the most important legal consequence is that, if enacted, the new legislation would replace the provisions of the existing Sports Law relating to cricket.
The Bill contains transitional provisions to ensure that the change does not create a legal or operational vacuum.
The existing body’s assets, liabilities, contracts, employees and pending legal proceedings would transfer to the new Sri Lanka Cricket.
The proposed legislation also provides for an interim arrangement before the first Board established under the new Act takes office.
This means the legislation is not simply a change to the SLC constitution. It represents an attempt to establish a new statutory foundation for the country’s cricket administration.
A new balance between independence and oversight
The proposed seven-seven Board structure creates a deliberate balance between professional independent directors and representatives elected by cricket’s membership.
At the same time, the Bill introduces stronger ministerial oversight through audit and inquiry provisions, while requiring greater disclosure and parliamentary reporting.
How these mechanisms operate in practice will depend on the final legislation passed by Parliament, the regulations made under it and the individuals ultimately appointed or elected.
The proposed system would also make the Nominations Committee an important institution because it would play a central role in identifying the Independent Directors.
The effectiveness of the new framework will therefore depend not only on the wording of the Act but also on the transparency of the nomination process, the quality of candidates, the independence of committees and the enforcement of conflict-of-interest rules.
The next stage
The publication of the Bill marks the beginning rather than the conclusion of the proposed reform.
Cabinet approved the preparation of legislation in June and subsequently authorised publication of the Bill and its presentation to Parliament. The Government has stated that the objective is to establish cricket administration based on good governance, integrity, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and equal opportunity, while protecting participants and the sport from corruption and other malpractice.
The parliamentary process could still result in amendments to the proposed provisions.
Until Parliament passes the legislation and it receives legal effect, the existing legal framework remains applicable.
But if the Bill is enacted substantially in its current form, Sri Lankan cricket will move from its present membership-driven administrative model to a statutory governance structure combining elected representation with independent professional oversight.
For an institution that has faced prolonged debate over governance, financial accountability, political influence and conflicts of interest, the proposed legislation represents a major change in how power within Sri Lanka Cricket is structured and exercised.
The critical question now shifts from what the Bill proposes to how Parliament ultimately legislates it and how the new framework is implemented.
