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SLC rejects Sajith’s claims of Shammi Silva’s letter to ICC

Published

6 months ago

November 19, 2023

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) states that it strongly refutes the recent allegations made by the leadership of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in parliament regarding the communication between the SLC and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Issuing a statement, Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body alleged it is evident that there is a misapprehension and misinterpretation of the contents of the letter under reference, and that the SLC is compelled to clarify its position on the said matter.

SLC, as a Full Member of the ICC, is duty-bound and obliged to adhere to the member obligations envisaged in the articles of association of the ICC. In doing so SLC is further obliged to keep the ICC informed of any difficulty and/or difficulties of adhering to such obligations, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the country’s cricket governing body expressed that with the appointment of Roshan Ranasinghe as the Minister of Sports, SLC has been experiencing continuous undue interferences by the Minister in its governance and operational matters.

“The interferences by the Minister did make it difficult for SLC to manage its day to-day affairs as envisaged in the said article, compelling the SLC to bring such interferences to the attention of ICC as SLC could not honour its obligations to comply with the said requirements envisaged in the article 2.4(D) of the ICC Articles”, SLC claimed further.

Furthermore, the statement highlights that in response to the action of the Minister the ICC had explicitly and categorically stated that it would not recognize any interim committees appointed by the Minister and the ICC would only recognize the duly elected office bearers of SLC as their point of contact as far as Sri Lanka is concerned.

“Therefore the suspension of SLC was a result of continues interferences by the Minister despite numerous warnings resulting in SLC not being able to adhere to article 2.4D in violation of said article and as stated it is quite evident that it was not a result of SLC’s communication which was misquoted and/or misapprehended by the Leader of SJB in the Parliament”, it said.

“SLC sympathizes with those who may not fully understand the intricacies of how sports associations affiliated with international bodies such as ICC function”, the statement added, mentioning that “we sincerely request anyone who wants to be critical of SLC to diligently intelligently consider the facts prior to disseminating baseless accusations and statements lacking merit”.

Speaking during the parliamentary session on Saturday (18), Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa revealed details of a letter said to have been sent by the Chairman of SLC, Shammi Silva to the ICC on ‘political interference’ in Sri Lanka’s cricket.

Premadasa claimed that the letter, copies of which have been sent to the cricket administration bodies of 12 countries including the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Jay Shah, has pointed out 05 matters pertaining to the challenges faced by Sri Lanka cricket due to the government’s interference.

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News

Fire breaks out in workers’ living quarters near Colombo Port

Published

53 mins ago

May 19, 2024

editor

A fire has reportedly broken out in the living quarters of highway access road workers near the Colombo Port.

The Colombo Fire Brigade said it has dispatched four fire trucks to assist in extinguishing the flames.

News

President Wickremesinghe meets Elon Musk to discuss starlink implementation in Sri Lanka

Published

58 mins ago

May 19, 2024

editor

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with billionaire and investor Elon Musk on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum High-Level Meeting being held in Indonesia.

During the meeting, Wickremesinghe and Musk discussed the implementation of ‘Starlink’ in Sri Lanka.

It was emphasized that Sri Lanka is committed to expediting the application process to connect the country to the global Starlink network, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

Minister Jeevan Thondaman, accompanying the President on his two-day visit to Indonesia, tweeted: “President and Elon discussed Sri Lanka’s recovery, economic potential, and new opportunities for investment. Great to have two visionary leaders come together for Sri Lanka.”

Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Sunday to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.

The billionaire head of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of social platform X, arrived by private jet on the idyllic “island of the gods,” renowned for its tropical beaches, terraced rice paddies, mystical temples, and colorful spiritual offerings.

Musk is slated to launch the service alongside Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a ceremony later Sunday at a public health clinic in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.

Musk will also sign an agreement to enhance connectivity in the country’s health and education sectors.

During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to participate in the 10th World Water Forum, which seeks to address global water and sanitation challenges.

–With agencies inputs

News

Senior diplomat to oversee Sri Lankan embassy in Russia

Published

11 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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It is reported that the government has planned to send a senior officer of the foreign service to the Sri Lankan embassy in Russia until a new ambassador is appointed due to the lack of an ambassador.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Taraka Balasuriya has told the media that the absence of an ambassador is just a gap in the work procedure, and based on the current situation in Russia, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be directed to supervise its affairs.

He emphasized that a retired foreign service senior is being sent and the lack of an ambassador is not a major problem.

The Minister further stated that there is already a senior Foreign Service officer there, and given the urgent need, a very senior Foreign Service officer is being sent not because the officer currently in Russia is inadequate.

Mr. Balasuriya has stressed that this is being done to strengthen the operation and that the work will be done according to the normal protocol.

However, even though an ambassador has been appointed to Russia, Mr. Balasuriya has made arrangements not to reveal who it is to the media.

The former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, was given three extensions, and she ended her service at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow on April 29.

At present, Counsellor Ruvini K. Munidasa serves as the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy.