The Sri Lanka sports minister who sought to sack the SLC board and install an interim committee has himself been sacked by the country's president, on Monday.
Roshan Ranasinghe's ouster may ease the lifting of Sri Lanka Cricket's suspension by the ICC, though it is not a certainty, says the leading cricket website espncricinfo.com.
SLC had beseeched the "top level" of Sri Lankan government to provide guarantees that there would be no further political interference in cricket administration in the country.
Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe has not provided such a guarantee thus far, but his sacking of Ranasinghe could be an indication that he wishes the government as a whole to back off.
In any case, it was Ranasinghe who most energetically sought the sacking of SLC's office bearers.
However, Ranasinghe has not only been sacked as sports minister, but has also been removed as minister of youth affairs and minister of irrigation - the other portfolios he held.
This was after he had made accusations against the president in parliament, earlier on Monday.
There is a chance his sacking was not particularly motivated by SLC's suspension by the ICC, which had taken place two weeks prior.
In any case, the news of Ranasinghe's ouster will be welcomed by SLC officials, who have feuded with the minister for about 12 months.
In the press conferences that SLC held in the past two weeks, board president Shammi Silva delivered personal insults against Ranasinghe, as Ranasinghe had against him elsewhere.
Ranasinghe had also repeatedly accused SLC of corruption and mismanagement.
The interim committee he had installed - and which was ousted by Sri Lanka's courts a day later - was headed by Arjuna Ranatunga, and also featured two sons of politicians with no known history of cricket administration.
SLC is understood to have asked to be suspended by the ICC in order to put pressure on the sports minister that had temporarily sacked the cricket board.
Because of SLC's suspension, Sri Lanka lost hosting rights of the Under-19 men's World Cup, which had been scheduled for January and February 2024.
Harin pledges to revive cricket, tackle corruption
New sports minister Harin Fernando has committed to revive Sri Lanka Cricket and implement necessary legal measures to eliminate corruption from the sport.
Speaking to the media after assuming duties, Fernando invited all stakeholders to collaborate in achieving this goal.
“This responsibility is crucial because the sport is a cherished aspect of our lives. Simultaneously, certain practices need to be followed when making these changes to the regulations,” he remarked.
Fernando acknowledged the challenges confronting Sri Lanka Cricket and referenced his previous tenure in the same role, where the sport faced serious issues related to corruption.
Despite those challenges, he asserted his successful navigation of the organisation through those difficulties, highlighting his proven track record.
“I am no stranger to challenges,” Fernando said, expressing his preparedness to address the issues affecting Sri Lanka Cricket.
He invited all stakeholders in cricket administration to join forces with him, emphasising the significance of unity and collective efforts in restoring the sport to its former glory.
The minister expressed his intention not to go against anyone and emphasised his desire to ‘clean up’ the sport of cricket, seeking collaboration from all, including former World Cup-winning Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.