Sri Lanka sack board after embarrassing ODI World Cup defeat to India

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board members were sacked by the Sri Lankan government following the national team's humiliating loss to India in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. The 1996 champions suffered a massive 302-run defeat in the group stage clash at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2.

Roshan Ranasinghe, Sri Lanka's Sports Minister, dismissed the whole members in the board on Monday, November 6. Notably, after the loss there was a public outrage demanding the resignation of the Shammi Silva-led SLC administration. There were also a number of demonstrations staged outside the SLC. Following this, the tension increased to another level which forced the government to deploy safeguard at the SL premises.

This made Ranasinghe to make a quick decision as he appointed an interim seven-member committee, which will be led by Arjuna Ranatunga, former World Cup-winning captain. The appointment was made officially under the authority of Sports Law No. 25 of 1973. This committee, which included former SLC chair Upali Dharmadasa and three retired judges, including two women, heralded Ranatunga's comeback to leadership in Sri Lankan Cricket.

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For the uninitiated, accusations of widespread wrongdoing have pitted Ranasinghe against the SLC. Due to an alleged breach of interference rules, the International Cricket Council (ICC) forced Ranasinghe to cancel the appointment of a three-person panel he had formed to look into allegations of corruption of the board in October.

 The ICC hasn't responded on Ranasinghe's most recent move while Shammi Silva had also declined to comment on the situation. Silva was chosen to lead the SLC in May for a third consecutive term that was initially scheduled to last until 2025.

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