Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka, right, is consoled by teammate Dunith Wellalage after losing the T20 World Cup cricket match against Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. File
| Photo Credit: AP
Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in the T20 World Cup might trigger an overhaul of the country’s cricket board, with Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage saying on Thursday (March 5, 2026) that an interim committee to “rebuild” the game is under consideration.
Sri Lanka were knocked out of the tournament after losing all their Super Eight games.
“Discussions are underway with the ICC [International Cricket Council] to hand over the administration of SLC [Sri Lanka Cricket] to an interim committee to rebuild the sport,” Mr. Gamage told reporters.
Current SLC chairman Shammi Silva’s tenure is till May 2027.
Prior to their Super Eight crash, Sri Lanka had lost to lower-ranked Zimbabwe in the preliminary round. The SLC headquarters saw a public protest last week demanding the resignation of the Silva administration.
The Minister said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is also involved in the ongoing talks with the ICC.
“We can’t risk having a ban again from the ICC so must do everything in concurrence with the ICC,” Mr. Gamage said, referring to the past sanctions that the country has copped.
In 2024, the ICC suspended Sri Lanka’s membership when the then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe sacked Mr. Silva based on corruption allegations.
The ICC had also shifted the 2025 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka to South Africa, citing government interference in the functioning of the sport.
Sri Lanka’s sports law of 1973 allows the Sports Minister to discipline sports bodies.
Mr. Gamage said the government was keen to rebuild the game to the pre-2014 levels when Sri Lanka was a top international performer.
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The island nation was the 2014 T20 World Cup champion besides being a runner-up in two other previous editions.
Mr. Gamage also appealed to the public to refrain from castigating the players for poor performance.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, after the ouster from the World Cup, had complained about the criticism that the players had been coping with and urged the government to curb the “negativity”.
Published – March 05, 2026 01:46 pm IST
