Wettimuny to head SLC interim committee

Sri Lanka sports minister Navin Dissanayake has appointed a nine-member interim committee headed by former Test opener Sidath Wettimuny to run Sri Lanka Cricket, effective from April 1.

The committee was established because the posts held by current office bearers, led by president Jayantha Dharmadasa, had become null and void. The laws governing all sports bodies in the country require annual elections to be held on or before March 31. SLC's elections, however, were postponed until the end of April due to the World Cup, which ended on March 29.

The interim committee's time in power has not been specified, but it is expected to last not more than six months.

Wettimuny has been a member of several interim committees in the past but this is the first time he has been asked to head one. He is expected to carry out the functions of the SLC until elections are held or until further notice, according to a Sports Ministry release. The Minister has included two members who held positions during Dharmadasa's period as president - Nuski Mohamed (who was treasurer) and Jayananda Warnaweera (ExCo member) in the interim committee. Two other former interim committee members, Kushil Gunasekara and Prakash Schaffter, have been appointed vice-president and secretary respectively.

Lucille Wijewardena (treasurer), Kapila Wijegunawardena (vice-president), Prasanna Jayawardena of the President's Council and Duminda Hulangamuwa (both committee members) are the others members of the interim committee.

Sports Ministry sources have stated that the Minister Dissanayake took this decision to unify and not further divide an already fractured SLC and that elections would not be held until the time is right.

Sri Lanka cricket was run under an interim administration for several years until the ICC brought a rule two years ago that such committees, which are appointed by the country's government would not be recognised.