Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the appointment of a new selection committee on Wednesday, December 13, for a two-year term. Ajantha Mendis, Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavitana, and Dilruwan Perera are among the four panelists, with former Sri Lankan cricket player Upul Tharanga selected as chairman. The nation’s Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando, made the appointments.
In the past, Tharanga has played in every format for Sri Lanka. Over the course of his 14-year stellar international career, the former Sri Lankan limited-overs skipper has participated in 31 Tests, 235 ODIs, and 26 Twenty20 Internationals. The 38-year-old, who averages 33.74 and strikes at 75.92, is one of Sri Lanka’s top batsmen in the 50-over format. He has scored 6951 runs overall, including 15 hundreds. He was one of the selectors and cricket players that faced accusations of manipulating the 2011 ODI World Cup, according to the unreversed. The Sri Lankan police dropped the allegations in 2020, saying there was insufficient evidence to support them.
For a two-year term, Sri Lanka Cricket intends to establish a new “Cricket Selection Committee” to choose national teams. The Honorable Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando, appointed the new committee, which is effective immediately. Sri Lanka Cricket posted the list of new members of the selection committee and wrote on X.
Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce a new ‘Cricket Selection Committee’ for a period of
two years to select national teams.The appointment of the new committee, which comes into immediate effect, was made by the
Honorable Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando. pic.twitter.com/CvHgeYX5LO— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) December 13, 2023
Following their humiliating loss to India in the recently finished ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Harin Fernando’s predecessor, Roshan Ranasinghe, fired the entire SLC board in November 2023, sparking the creation of the new selection committee. The SLC office-bearers refuted Ranasinghe’s accusation that they were excessively corrupt.
The World Cup-winning captain Arjun Ranatunga led the temporary cricket board he subsequently created, but it was halted by an appeals court order by SLC President Shammi Silva, who had been removed. The International Cricket Council (ICC) then suspended Sri Lanka’s membership as a result of significant government meddling in the board’s operations. The president of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, despised Ranasinghe’s action and fired him.
Furthermore, the suspension was overturned by the ICC, enabling them to play bilateral and international cricket. Nevertheless, South Africa will now host the 2024 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup instead of Sri Lanka.