Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has firmly rejected a wave of recent claims circulating in sections of the print media, clarifying to The Morning Telegraph that there is no truth to reports suggesting political interference in its administration.
Senior SLC officials confirmed that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has not contacted SLC President Shammi Silva at any point to request his resignation. The board also dismissed speculation that the Minister of Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, is preparing to suspend the democratically elected Executive Committee and install an Interim Committee.
According to reliable sources, the narrative appears to have gained traction following representations made to senior government figures by a group of cricketers aligned with a particular manager, reportedly calling for the removal of the current SLC administration. However, officials insist that such developments do not reflect any official position taken by the government.
Behind the scenes, tensions are understood to have been building within certain player groups. Sri Lanka Cricket has recently tightened its fitness standards, resulting in several players being unable to meet the required benchmarks for national selection. Additionally, dissatisfaction has reportedly emerged among some players who were not granted release to participate in high-paying T20 franchise leagues.
Compounding the situation are ongoing internal inquiries initiated by SLC into irregular patterns of play. These include scrutiny of performances, unusual dismissals, dropped catches, and lapses in fielding, areas that could potentially point toward deeper concerns such as spot-fixing or match manipulation. While no formal conclusions have been announced, officials acknowledge that such investigations are complex, noting that even strong individual performances can mask isolated moments of suspicious activity.
SLC further emphasized that any attempt to dissolve a democratically elected Executive Committee without due legal process could have serious international consequences. Under global cricket governance rules, undue government interference in board affairs could place Sri Lanka at risk of suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
As matters stand, SLC maintains that no official directive has been issued to alter its leadership, and that all rumours suggesting otherwise are unfounded.
