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Sanath Jayasuriya’s NSSC Appointment In jeopardy

10 Oct 2022

By Ranjika Perera    Former Sri Lankan cricketer, “master blaster” Sanath Jayasuriya’s appointment as a member of the recently appointed National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC) of Sri Lanka is now in jeopardy after the National Olympic Council (NOC) of Sri Lanka Secretary General Maxwell De Silva sent in a letter to the Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe objecting to his appointment among many other complaints. The letter, addressed to the Minister of Sports, was also copied to President Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as several other international bodies. Sanath Jayasuriya who was appointed a member of the newly formed seven-man team of NSSC, was banned from all cricket activities for two years in 2019 after admitting to breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The former Sri Lanka Cricket captain, who also held the post of Chairman of Cricket Selectors at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had admitted to being in breach of the following provisions of ICC’s Code:
  • Article 2.4.6 – Failure or refusal, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), including failure to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the ACU as part of such investigation
  • Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, tampering with, or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation, and/or that may be evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code
As a result of his admissions, Jayasuriya was handed a two-year ban from all cricket-related activities. ICC General Manager of ACU Alex Marshall was quoted as saying: “This conviction under the code demonstrates the importance of participants in cricket cooperating with investigations. Compelling participants to cooperate under the Code is a vital weapon in our efforts to rid our sport of corruptors. These rules are essential to maintain the integrity of our sport.” Meanwhile the NOC Secretary General also accused the Minister of Sports of being ignorant, and not adhering to a pact that was made between Officials of the IOC and Former Ministry of Sports Officials way back in 1986. This is after Minister Ranasinghe issued a Government Gazette and appointed a seven-member panel instead of five members. In that pact, it was agreed that the President and Secretary of the NOC along with three other members appointed by the Minister, who in the opinion of the Minister have rendered exceptional service to sports or have acquired eminence in sports. The NOCSL Secretary General De Silva despite being reinstated to the post as a member of the current NSSC himself, informed the Minister Ranasinghe that he will not be accepting it, citing blatant violations that he had made further in making these appointments. Maxwell De Silva’s letter to Minister Ranasinghe further stated the following violations: 
  1. Appointment of a member who was found guilty by an International Federation to the NSSC violating IOC Charter (match fixing etc.).
  2. The presence of a Sports Minister Nominee, making it a political entity
  3. Increasing the number to seven members from the original five members and inclusion of Ministry and Sports Council (which is the advisory committee), thereby showing conflict of interest
  4. Removal of permanent members of the NOC
It further stated: “With due respect to you as the Sports Minister, I decline to accept the said appointment and we urge you to reconsider and reverse the gazette notification and to maintain the status quo, failing which NOC cannot be a part of the NSSC and we will not be able to endorse decision taken by the NSSC. We also note with regret that unfortunate people who are supposed to advise you, are misleading you due to their vested interest to create confusion and conflict with NOC. “We would have appreciated, if you would be kind enough to have a dialogue when making changes to Sports Law with NOC as this was the agreement reached with the IOC in Lausanne by your predecessors.”


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