CTC keen to fast-track constitutional reforms in Sri Lanka Cricket

Silva and his executive committee resigned in late April without giving any explanation following talks with the government.

The Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC), the government-appointed interim panel tasked with running Sri Lanka Cricket, on Thursday made it clear that it intends to amend the SLC constitution governing the election of office-bearers.

The CTC addressed the media here for the first time since being appointed by the country's sports minister.

''We want to do it as fast as possible,'' CTC chairman Eran Wickremaratna said.

Wickremaratna, a former junior minister, said the entire process, including parliamentary procedures, would take at least six months.

Asked about the visit of officials Imran Khwaja and Devajit Saikia last week, Wickremaratna said the world body had been ''very cordial and constructive'', but declined to reveal whether the ICC had specified a timeframe for the CTC's functioning.

''The ICC knows we are open and transparent with what we are doing,'' he said.

Asked what was wrong with the existing system of electing office-bearers, Wickremaratna said: ''There are lots of concerns that have come up about the current constitution. The so-called democratic voting system seems to have been abused in a big way.''.

He added that there were governance issues as well, including a lack of transparency, and said all such concerns would be addressed in the new constitution.

As the basis for constitutional reform, the CTC plans to use the draft Act formulated on August 12, 2023 by a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge KT Chithrasiri. Under the proposal, SLC would be run by an 18-member directorate comprising eight appointed and 10 elected members.

SLC annual general meetings for electing office-bearers have often been marred by allegations of vote-buying.

The CTC succeeded the elected administration of Shammi Silva. Silva and his executive committee resigned in late April without giving any explanation following talks with the government.