The Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC) of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), during its monthly interaction with the media on Tuesday (28 July), announced a series of development initiatives aimed at improving aspects such as coaching, umpiring, pitch preparation, and player advancement across the nation.
Addressing the media, the CTC’s Sidath Wettimuny, who heads its cricketing arm, stated that they had prioritised three crucial areas in recent weeks – coaching, curating, and umpiring.
The former opener said that considerable input had been received from two of its members, namely, Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, in terms of further improving the on-field performances concerning the country’s men’s and women’s teams.
As part of the mooted reforms, he said that the governing body had recruited two umpire coaches to further uplift officiating standards from school cricket to first-class level.
The programme, according to him, was scheduled to begin on Saturday (1) and would also consist of an umpire manager to oversee the development side.
He noted that a curator manager had also been appointed to oversee the preparation of wickets at international venues, while at the same time providing technical knowhow to club and school grounds when needed.
Wettimuny reiterated that improving coaching standards remained one of their main priorities, with talks currently underway to secure the services of reputed coach educator Ashley Ross to launch a two-year coach education programme.
He noted that well-known sports physiotherapist Alex Kountouris, who had been attached to the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lanka outfit, had spent a week in the country reviewing aspects such as physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and physical training schedules.
Wettimuny added that Kountouris, who had recently ended his stint with the Australian Men’s Cricket Team, would look to realign these departments while continuing to support their endeavours sporadically.
According to him, the CTC will probably look to replace the Under 23 tournament with an Under 21 competition instead, in order to ensure a solid transitioning phase to senior cricket for talented school cricketers.
Wettimuny was also of the opinion that the committee would expand its focus on women’s cricket with added emphasis on areas such as player welfare, management structures, and long-term player development.
Meanwhile, CTC Chair Eran Wickramaratne revealed that his committee had concluded the preparation of a draft constitution for SLC, one of its major assignments, and stated that it had already been submitted to the Sports Minister.
He subsequently explained the procedure that would be followed, noting: “The draft constitution will be reviewed by both the Attorney General and the Legal Draftsman’s Department. It will then be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, and then gazetted and tabled in Parliament.”
Wickramaratne added: “Afterwards, a two-week period will be given for any challenges before the court, and if there are any challenges, the court, having considered them, will deliver its verdict within 48–72 hours. Following that a date will be set for the second and third readings in the Legislature, and if ratified, only then will it become law.”
The former Parliamentarian also gave a glimpse into how the new governing structure at the Maitland Place-based body would take root as per the new constitution.
He said that they had proposed the introduction of a 14-member board, inclusive of seven appointed members and seven elected by the SLC membership.
Representatives from five nominated bodies, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, alongside a ministry representative, will appoint seven members to the board.
Among these seven members will be a chartered accountant, an IT specialist, a marketing expert, a lawyer, and a former player who must have been retired for at least three years.
The CTC Chair stated that these appointed directors, while being afforded the chance to serve a maximum of two four-year stints, would then rotate on an annual basis in order to ensure continuity.
The remaining seven positions are to be elected by the SLC membership, which itself has been reduced drastically from 60 to 39 after the previous SLC Executive Committee voted to trim it from 147 to 60 in 2024.
“The chairman will always be from among the appointed committee members and not from the elected office. Then there is scope for transparency and independence,” Wettimuny stated.