New Sri Lanka Cricket Constitution to Be Presented in Parliament Soon – Eran Wickramaratne
Eran Wickramaratne stated that new constitutional reforms for Sri Lanka Cricket are currently being prepared and will soon be submitted to Parliament in order to streamline cricket administration and establish transparent financial management.
Speaking to the media, he said that since the real stakeholders of cricket are the general public, public opinions and suggestions would also be sought while drafting the new constitution.
He further emphasized that the committee has not received any pressure from either President Anura Kumara Dissanayake or the Sports Minister, and that the committee will carry out its responsibilities independently.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee headed by Eran Wickramaratne was appointed by Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage after the executive committee led by former Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva resigned last month following years in office.
The committee held its first media briefing on Thursday (20) at the Sri Lanka Cricket auditorium. Businessman Prakash Schaffter delivered the welcome speech during the event.
Addressing the gathering, Eran Wickramaratne said the committee’s main responsibility is to create a strong foundation that can take Sri Lankan cricket back to success and higher standards.
“We are going to reform the administrative system and establish transparent financial management. This is not an issue that emerged overnight. It has been discussed for many years across various sectors, including Parliament, regardless of party differences. Everyone has been calling for change,” he said.
He stressed that cricket does not belong to a single committee or group, and therefore opinions will be gathered from all stakeholders connected to the sport, including players, districts, provinces, clubs, schools, cricket representatives, and the general public who wish to see Sri Lankan cricket succeed.
According to him, once the draft constitution is completed, it will be submitted to a panel of President’s Counsel lawyers for review before being presented to Parliament for approval after detailed discussions.
Wickramaratne also stated that every rupee would be directed toward the development of school cricket, while special attention would be given to improving women’s cricket and the national team.
Meanwhile, he revealed that recent discussions with ICC representatives had been constructive and positive. Last weekend, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja and Devajit Saikia, who serves as Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and an ICC Director, visited Sri Lanka and held discussions with the transformation committee, the President, and the Sports Minister.
Responding to a question regarding the timeline for introducing the new constitution and electing new office bearers, Wickramaratne said the entire process could take up to six months.
He also assured that once cricket administration is restructured, there would be no room for discrimination based on caste, ethnicity, religion, or social class.
