(Image Source: ICC)
[Saba Sports News] On December 13, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced a new selection committee for a two-year term, appointing former national player Upul Tharanga as chairman. The four-member panel includes Ajantha Mendis, Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavitana, and Dilruwan Perera, appointed by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Harin Fernando.
Tharanga, a former Sri Lankan captain, has played 31 Tests, 235 ODIs, and 26 T20Is, scoring 6951 runs in ODIs with 15 centuries. Previously implicated in match-fixing allegations during the 2011 ODI World Cup, he was cleared in 2020 due to lack of evidence.
The formation of this committee follows the dismissal of the entire SLC board by former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in November 2023 after a World Cup defeat to India.
Ranasinghe’s accusations of corruption against the SLC were contested, and his interim cricket board, led by Arjun Ranatunga, was stayed by a court order. This led to ICC suspending Sri Lanka’s membership due to government interference, later reinstated though the country lost hosting rights for the 2024 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup to South Africa.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce a new ‘Cricket Selection Committee’ for a period of two years to select national teams. The appointment of the new committee, which comes into immediate effect, was made by the Honorable Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando,” Sri Lanka Cricket shared the list of new selection committee members on X.