(The Sunday Times) – The proposed new Sri Lanka Cricket Act has introduced major changes to the way the country’s cricket administration will be governed, with a reduced voting structure, an independent Board of Directors and a separate Professional Administration replacing the existing system.
The draft Act, a copy of which is in the possession of the Sunday Times, proposes replacing the current Executive Committee system with a 14-member Board of Directors; reducing the influence of smaller voting groups; bringing independent professionals into the administration; introducing stricter eligibility requirements for office bearers; and limiting the number of years a person can remain in cricket administration.
The Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC), headed by Eran Wickremaratne, says the reforms are aimed at improving accountability, strengthening governance and creating a more professional structure for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The CTC was appointed to run the affairs of SLC in April following the resignation of the Shammi Silva-led administration.
The adoption of the proposed constitution will be necessary before fresh elections can be held to hand over the administration back to an elected body, a requirement raised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the CTC took control of SLC. Wickremaratne said this week that the draft has been submitted to the Sports Minister for the next stage of the process.
However, the proposed Act will first have to be examined by the Attorney General’s Department and the Legal Draftsman’s Department before being presented to Cabinet for approval. Once greenlighted, it will be gazetted and tabled in Parliament, allowing a two-week period for any legal challenges.
If challenged, the Supreme Court is expected to deliver a decision within 48 to 72 hours. Thereafter, the Bill will proceed for the second and third readings in Parliament. Only after approval will it become law.
Seven elected, seven independent directors
One of the biggest changes proposed is the replacement of the existing elected Executive Committee with a 14-member Board of Directors consisting of seven elected directors and seven independent directors.
Under the present system, SLC’s leadership is decided through elections where voting patterns have often been criticised for allowing influence and manipulation. The proposed structure aims to create a balance between representatives of cricket stakeholders and professionals appointed for their expertise.
The seven independent directors will be selected by a six-member Nomination Committee consisting of representatives from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Sports, the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors and the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.
The independent directors must include professionals from several fields, including a Chartered Accountant, a senior lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, a former first-class cricketer, an information technology specialist and an expert in marketing and brand management.
The draft also requires at least two independent directors to be women, giving female representation a place within the highest decision-making body of SLC. The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Board must be selected from among the independent directors, removing the possibility of the top positions being directly decided through club-based elections.
Stricter eligibility rules for directors
The proposed constitution introduces stricter rules on who can serve on the SLC Board, with the aim of ensuring greater independence and accountability. A person will not be eligible to become a director if he or she is a Member of Parliament, a provincial councillor or a member of a local authority. Employees of SLC member organisations will also be excluded.
Those declared bankrupt or mentally incapable by a court, or those convicted of offences involving fraud, corruption, dishonesty, violence or serious misconduct, will not be allowed to hold office. The rules also prevent individuals who have previously been removed from office, those disqualified under ICC regulations, and people with conflicts of interest, from serving as directors. This includes player agents, managers, cricket equipment suppliers, sports academy operators and individuals involved in betting or gaming activities.
The draft further restricts those with close family connections to national players, recent professional journalists, match officials, coaches and people involved in cricket-related commercial activities.
Candidates must be Sri Lankan citizens and cannot simultaneously hold senior positions such as President, Secretary or Treasurer of another member club or sports association.
Those serving suspensions or bans imposed by SLC, the ICC or other recognised sporting bodies, as well as individuals penalised under anti-doping or anti-corruption regulations, will also be ineligible.
Eight-year limit on administration roles
The draft introduces a lifetime maximum of eight years for anyone serving in SLC administration.
The period will include time spent as an Executive Committee member, office bearer, independent director or elected director. The rule could prevent several long-serving administrators from returning to positions within SLC once they complete the maximum period.
Voting membership reduced from 59 to 39
The proposed constitution has also changed the voting structure, reducing the number of voting members from 59 to 39. Under the new system, only Tier ‘A’ clubs, Tier ‘B’ clubs, Provincial Associations and the Women’s Cricket Association, if admitted, will have voting rights.
Tier ‘A’ clubs will receive two votes each, while Tier ‘B’ clubs and Provincial Associations will receive one vote each. The Women’s Cricket Association will also receive one vote if admitted. The move removes voting rights from Tier ‘C’ clubs although they will continue as members of SLC and will be allowed to attend Annual General Meetings. They will, however, not be able to vote on matters requiring a decision or influence elections.
The number of voting members had previously stood at 147 before being reduced to 59 under reforms introduced by the previous administration.
“We made a substantial reduction of votes in 2024, bringing it down to 59 from 147. We removed the paper clubs but included all categories like School Association and Mercantile Cricket Association which plays a huge role in development,” said Nuski Mohamed who chaired the committee that reviewed and made the amendments to the long-standing requirement of vote reduction.
The new structure gives greater weight to organisations involved in higher-level cricket while reducing the influence of smaller entities.
New requirements for clubs to retain votes
The draft also introduces minimum membership requirements for clubs to retain voting rights.
Tier ‘A’ clubs must have at least 200 registered members, Tier ‘B’ clubs must have a minimum of 100 members, and Tier ‘C’ clubs must have at least 50 members. Clubs that fail to meet these requirements could lose their voting rights.
The objective is to ensure that voting members represent properly organised cricket institutions with active membership bases.
CEO to handle daily operations
The proposed constitution separates administration and governance responsibilities by giving the Chief Executive Officer responsibility for SLC’s daily operations. The Board of Directors will focus mainly on policy decisions, strategic direction and oversight, while professional management will handle the running of the organisation.
