Shammi Silva resigns as Cricket President

Mr. Shammi Silva, who led Sri Lanka Cricket for nearly seven years as its President, has decided to step down from his position today (28). He officially announced his resignation during a special discussion held by the Cricket Executive Committee, and it is reported that the entire Executive Committee is also expected to resign from their posts concurrently.

Although his term, having been re-elected to the position in March 2025, was scheduled to run until May 2027, he has been compelled to resign from his post due to intense pressure exerted recently.

The strong directives issued by the current President, Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and pressure from the government have been significant reasons for this sudden resignation. Additionally, local cricket fans were deeply disappointed by the extremely poor performance of the Sri Lanka national team in the recently concluded T20 World Cup tournament, as well as their elimination from the tournament in the very first round. Furthermore, massive protests by the Maha Sangha (Buddhist clergy), various civil organizations, and the general public, stemming from long-standing allegations of financial irregularities, corruption, and inefficiency against the cricket administration, have also directly influenced this administrative change.

As a step to alleviate the current crisis, the government is already planning to appoint a special interim management committee to oversee the future operations of Sri Lanka Cricket. It is reported that former Member of Parliament Mr. Eran Wickramaratne, a skilled administrator and former Royal College Colombo cricketer, is highly likely to be appointed as the chairman of this new interim committee. However, the government's primary objective is to hold elections as soon as possible and hand over cricket administration to a qualified new governing body.

Previously, in 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC) temporarily suspended Sri Lanka Cricket's membership due to government interference in cricket administration. However, authorities have already taken steps to inform the International Cricket Council about the latest situation in the country, and it is expected that their approval will be granted for the appointment of an interim committee if elections are held through an expedited process.