play Live Sign upShow navigation menuplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upSport|CricketSri Lanka’s government ‘temporarily’ takes over cricket boardGovernment says it will run the administrative functions of Sri Lanka Cricket until reforms are implemented.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoSri Lanka were cohosts of the T20 World Cup in 2026 with India [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026Sri Lanka’s government has taken control of the country’s cricket board, saying it is a temporary measure designed to pave the way for “structural reforms”.
“All administrative functions of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will be temporarily brought under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, effective today,” the ministry said on Wednesday.
A committee will be appointed shortly “to address the current issues in cricket and implement structural reforms,” it added.
SLC is the country’s wealthiest sporting body but has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The world governing body, the International Cricket Council, suspended Sri Lanka for two months in 2023–2024, citing political interference in the running of the national board.
Four-time SLC president Shammi Silva resigned on Tuesday, along with his entire committee, after the government intervened.
Sri Lanka made an early exit from the T20 World Cup, which it co-hosted with India in February–March.
