- Former Sports Minister Harin Fernando chosen as the successor
Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Roshan Ranasinghe was sacked from his portfolio with immediate effect last (27) afternoon by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The curtain has finally closed on what has been a dramatic series of events in the field of sports in Sri Lanka. Minister Ranasinghe’s long-standing fight against corruption in sports ended in an expected manner.
It all began with football, when FIFA suspended the Football Federation of Sri Lanka back in January citing government interference. The FFSL election was held on 14 January, where current President Jaswar Umar was not allowed to compete against the eventual winner J. Sri Ranga. This was understood as a third-party interference by FIFA, who rejected the election and the elected committee.
Then it was rugby, which was banned in June after a long-standing dispute between the Sports Ministry, Asia Rugby, and former Sri Lanka Rugby President Rizly Ilyaz.
The Minister also had a fallout with National Olympic Committee Chairman Suresh Subramaniam, who was against the revisions done by the Minister on the Sports Law.
But the final nail in the coffin was after the Minister suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and appointed an interim committee headed by World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
The troubles began on 2 November, when Sri Lanka suffered a staggering defeat at the hands of India, getting bowled out for a mere 55 runs, resulting in a massive 302-run win for the Indians.
On 3 November, SLC called for an urgent explanation from the coaching staff and selectors, addressing key points like strategy, preparation, team selection, player performance, and post-match analysis. Subsequently, Ranasinghe demanded the resignation of SLC's Executive Committee and Selection Committee. Civil activists joined in, protesting outside SLC Headquarters, demanding the resignation of the Executive Committee.
Amidst the chaos, Ranasinghe wrote to International Cricket Council (ICC) member countries, accusing SLC of misleading the international body about political interference. On 6 November, the Minister suspended SLC and appointed an interim committee.
However, President Wickremesinghe claimed he was not notified, leading to discussions in the Cabinet meeting, and later on, a parliamentary debate.
Simultaneously, Sri Lanka faced another defeat, this time against Bangladesh in the World Cup, jeopardising their chances of participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy. On 7 November, the Court of Appeal issued stay orders against the interim committee.
Security measures increased around SLC premises on 9 November, and a joint proposal for the removal of SLC office bearers passed unanimously in Parliament. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's defeat to New Zealand ensured their ninth place finish, missing the Champions Trophy for the first time since 1996.
Upon returning, Chief Selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe pledged to reveal the issues. On 10 November, ICC suspended SLC's membership.
On 11 November, ESPNcricinfo reported that SLC had requested the ICC's extreme step, surprising many.
On 19 November, Minister Ranasinghe claimed that SLC had requested the ICC suspension. SLC rejected these allegations on 20 November.
The ICC Board's decision on 21 November allowed Sri Lanka to continue playing internationally, but with controlled funding. Hosting the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 was shifted to South Africa.
As legal battles continued, the case related to the SLC interim committee faced postponements on 22, 23, 24, and 27 November.