Sri Lanka Cricket appoints Upul Tharanga as chairman of new selection committee
On December 13, Wednesday, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the appointment of a new selection committee for a period of two years. Former Sri Lanka cricketer Upul Tharanga was named as chairman and the four-member panel includes the likes of Ajantha Mendis, Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavitana, and Dilruwan Perera. The appointments were made by Harin Fernando, the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs of the country.
Tharanga has previously represented Sri Lanka in all formats of the game. The former limited-overs captain of Sri Lanka has played 31 Tests, 235 ODIs, and 26 T20Is during his 14-year-long illustrious international career. Widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s best batters in the 50-over format, the 38-year-old has amassed a total of 6951 runs, including 15 centuries, averaging at 33.74 with a strike rate of 75.92. For the unreversed, he was among the few cricketers and selectors, who were accused with allegations of fixing during the 2011 ODI World Cup. In 2020, the charges were lifted by the Sri Lanka police, citing there was no evidence of the same.
The formation of the new selection committee came after Harin Fernando’s predecessor, Roshan Ranasinghe, dismissed the whole SLC board in November 2023 after their embarrassing defeat against India in the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Ranasinghe accused SLC’s office-bearers of excessive corruption, a charge they contradicted.
He then appointed an interim cricket board led by World Cup-winning captain Arjun Ranatunga, but it was stayed by a Court of Appeal by ousted SLC President Shammi Silva. Following this, the ICC (International Cricket Council) suspended Sri Lanka’s membership due to extensive government interference in the board’s administration. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s President, loathed Ranasinghe’s move and sacked him.
Moreover, the ICC recently lifted the ban and allowed them to take part in both international and bilateral cricket. However, Sri Lanka lost the hosting rights for the 2024 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which moved to South Africa.
