In a major development, five government Ministers have threatened to resign if beleaguered President Ranil Wickremasinghe sacks Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe over the ban imposed on the Sri Lanka cricket team by the International Cricket Council.
Minister Ranasinghe with the backing of a majority of the government and the Opposition sacked cricket officials accused of corruption and installed a caretaker commitee to run the affairs of cricket headed by former captain Arjuna Ranatunga that promoted the ICC to impose the ban citing government interferance.
President Wickremasinghe has not taken a direct stand on the matter but his close Advisor Sagala Ratnayake is a staunch supporter of Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva who is the main man accused of financial mismanagement and power abuse.
Hours before the ICC imposed the ban on the Sri Lanka cricket team, Opposition leader in Parliament Sajith Premadasa accused Silva and his band of sacked officials of hatching a plot with ICC officials in India to outlaw the caretaker committee that was appointed by Minister Ranasinghe.
“Banning the Sri Lanka cricket team was the result of a plot by corrupt and sacked cricket officials who met secretly at a five-star hotel in Colombo. They called on Indian officials running the ICC to impose the ban on Sri Lanka,” said Premadasa.
Minister Ranasinghe said the ban was arbitrary and not imposed with the approval of the ICC Board which he said was informed by him of corruption and malpractices taking place at Sri Lanka Cricket.
