Administrative tremors are spreading across Sri Lanka Cricket, with its long-time president Shammi Silva preparing to step aside after serving since 2019. The government is expected to install Eran Wickramaratne—an ex-minister who now sits in the opposition bench—as the interim head of the board, following a scheduled executive committee meeting on Tuesday. The shift comes amid heightened scrutiny over how such interventions will be treated by the International Cricket Council (ICC), particularly given the legal and governance principles surrounding elected cricket bodies.
What is changing at Sri Lanka Cricket
Shammi Silva, who took charge of SLC in 2019, is set to relinquish the presidency on Tuesday. The decision is linked to a meeting of the executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, convened for that day, as the transition moves into its next phase.
Interim leadership expected, and the politics behind it
Eran Wickramaratne is widely expected to assume control in an interim capacity as a government nominee. Even though local media reports have suggested that some committee members may want to remain in place for the rest of their term, informed sources indicate there is little room for that kind of resistance. The reason cited is that Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is personally overseeing the transfer of authority.
Legal backdrop and the ICC’s possible reaction
Under Sri Lanka’s Sports Law of 1973, the Sports Minister has powers to dissolve sports federations. However, any move that interferes with an elected national body is, in principle, seen as conflicting with the governance framework set out in the ICC charter. How the ICC will respond to this kind of forced change remains uncertain, but reports suggest the world body has already been informed and that there is an expectation that fresh elections will be held soon.
- Shammi Silva’s presidency is due to end on Tuesday after the SLC executive committee meeting.
- Eran Wickramaratne is expected to take over on an interim basis as a government nominee.
- Some committee members are reported to have considered staying for their remaining term, though resistance is said to have limited chances due to the President’s direct involvement.
- Pakistan? No—Sri Lanka’s Sports Law of 1973 gives the Sports Minister dissolution powers, but this may clash with the ICC charter’s approach to elected bodies.
- Reports indicate the ICC has been briefed and is likely to press for elections in the near term.
Comparisons with Bangladesh and the reasons cited locally
A parallel governance situation is also being watched in Bangladesh. There, the government replaced the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) setup led by Aminul Islam with a new committee headed by Tamim Iqbal. Sources suggest there is currently no sign of the ICC stepping in directly in either the Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi board matter.
It is also understood that the ICC’s normalisation committee met recently. Yet developments in neither country are believed to have been seriously assessed as requiring immediate escalation at this stage.
In Sri Lanka, local reporting points to the national men’s team’s declining performances as a key motivation behind the government’s intervention. The team, led by Dasun Shanaka, did not reach the Super 8 stage of the most recent T20 World Cup, a tournament Sri Lanka Cricket co-hosted with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Corruption allegations and what a former SLC president says
Alongside performance concerns, allegations of corruption within SLC have also surfaced. An influential figure associated with the SLA, who spoke to Cricbuzz and asked not to be identified, said no formal charges have been laid against the board.
- The national side’s failure to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the recent T20 World Cup is cited as a reason for government action.
- Dasun Shanaka has been named as the captain leading the team during that campaign.
- Local reporting notes that Sri Lanka Cricket co-hosted the T20 World Cup with the BCCI.
- Corruption claims have circulated, but the former SLC president stated that no official charges have been filed against the board.
He also pointed to the board’s hosting record and future international commitments, saying that SLC has successfully managed major events and is also set to host another ICC tournament in 2029. In his view, any corruption allegation would need publicly substantiated grounding before it can be treated as a serious basis for action. He added that he does not know how the ICC will react to the change, but expects the ICC to demand fresh elections within six months.
Earlier ouster of Silva, ICC fallout, and the timeline of his term
Silva’s current situation is not the first time he has been removed. He was ousted earlier as well, when an interim setup was placed in charge by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe after Sri Lanka’s poor showing at the 2023 World Cup in India. After that period of disruption, the ICC suspended SLC and shifted the Under-19 World Cup—scheduled for January 2024—from the island to South Africa.
Shammi Silva, aged 65, had previously taken over from Thilanga Sumathipala. He returned to the presidency by winning the election in March 2025. While he still had one year remaining on his current term, the latest developments suggest the end of his seven-year run at Sri Lanka Cricket is now imminent.
