ICC Chairman Jay Shah is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Friday afternoon and is expected to hold discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the future of Sri Lanka Cricket’s administration.
The visit comes at a crucial time, with Sri Lanka Cricket currently being administered by a Transformation Committee following the resignation of the elected Executive Committee led by Shammi Silva in April. The committee stepped down after mounting pressure from the government, paving the way for the appointment of the interim body.
The developments have attracted considerable attention, as the appointment of an interim committee is generally viewed as being contrary to the International Cricket Council’s long-standing policy against political interference in the administration of its member boards. Despite this, the ICC has so far refrained from making any public comment on the matter.
It has, however, emerged that the ICC recently wrote to Sri Lanka Cricket urging the board to conduct elections at the earliest opportunity. While the governing body is understood to have expressed its desire for a democratically elected administration to be restored, it remains unclear whether a specific deadline has been imposed.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Sri Lanka Cricket had been encouraged to complete the election process before the end of July. However, that timeline now appears increasingly unlikely.
The Transformation Committee is currently focused on finalising a new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket before calling elections, with officials believing that structural reforms should be completed first to avoid repeating past governance issues.
Jay Shah’s discussions with President Dissanayake are expected to centre on the roadmap for restoring an elected administration while ensuring that Sri Lanka Cricket remains compliant with ICC governance requirements.
His visit is likely to be closely watched by the cricket fraternity, as it could provide greater clarity on the ICC’s position regarding the current administration and the timeline for the long-awaited elections.
