Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva to Step Down Amid Shake-Up

Silva, a heavyweight in cricket's corridors of power in Sri Lanka, has been part of SLC's fabric since 2017, including a seven-year stint at the top. But after weathering a few storms, the veteran administrator appears ready to declare his innings, Telecom Asia Sport said in a report.

A former multi-sport athlete at Nalanda College who later turned out for Colombo Cricket Club, where he now serves as President, Silva rose through the ranks to occupy the game's most powerful seat locally, often elected unopposed. Yet, in recent years, the tide has turned, and his continuation in the post became increasingly untenable, the report said.

Pressure has been mounting on Silva since Sri Lanka's underwhelming campaign at the 2023 World Cup in India, when critics sharpened their knives. Matters came to a head when the then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe removed Shammi Silva and installed an interim committee, only for the move to backfire spectacularly.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) promptly suspended Sri Lanka for political interference, a bouncer the government failed to sway, forcing a hasty reinstatement of Shammi Silva, the report claimed.

The latest wave of discontent was a result of Sri Lanka's failure to reach the semifinals of the recent T20 World Cup, co-hosted with India, a campaign that left fans and stakeholders alike questioning the direction of the game.

Sources indicated to www.telecomasia.net that the current government officials have since met Shammi Silva, laying out the mood on the street. In those discussions, he is understood to have agreed to step aside. After chairing Tuesday's Executive Committee meeting, he is expected to call time on his tenure the following morning.

His committee may well follow suit. Insiders suggest a clean sweep is on the cards, with an interim body likely to be appointed to steady the ship until fresh elections are held.

According to the report, among the frontrunners to take over the top post are Eran Wickramaratne, a former cricketer-turned-opposition-politician, and Suresh Subramaniam, the former head of the National Olympic Committee. A clutch of respected former players, including Sidath Wettimuny, Kushil Gunasekara, and Roshan Mahanama, are also expected to be part of the new set-up.

The incoming administration is tipped to fast-track governance reforms, including the adoption of a new constitution based on recommendations by Justice Chithrasiri. The blueprint, long in the making, aims to bring transparency and professionalism, mixing cricketing expertise with specialists in finance, law, and administration.

According to the news report, the push for reform gained momentum when several leading figures, including spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan, took legal recourse in a bid to clean up the system. The retired judge's report is seen as a roadmap to drag SLC out of troubled waters and into calmer seas.

- IANS