Cricket Governance Revolution Proposed Under New Sri Lanka Cricket Bill

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Cricket Bill, drafted to restructure and reform cricket administration in the country, has been published through an Extraordinary Gazette.

The draft legislation includes provisions relating to the governance, regulation, promotion, development and administration of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Gazette sets out provisions under several key areas, including the establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket, its objectives, administration, governance and overall control of the sport.

Responsibility for administering Sri Lanka Cricket will be vested in a Board of Directors.

The Board will comprise Independent Directors nominated by a Nominations Committee established under Section 22 and appointed by the Board, together with Elected Directors chosen by voting members of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Gazette also sets out qualifications and requirements for individuals who may serve on the governing Board of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Accordingly, any former cricketer appointed as an Independent Director must be a person of good standing who has played not fewer than fifteen international cricket matches at any time prior to the thirty-six months immediately preceding the date of appointment.

The draft legislation further contains extensive provisions relating to agreements, investments, joint ventures, strategic alliances, concessions, public-private partnerships, build-operate-transfer arrangements and other commercial, developmental and operational activities that Sri Lanka Cricket may undertake both within and outside Sri Lanka.

The Gazette also specifies categories of persons who will be disqualified from serving on the Board of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Among those provisions are disqualifications relating to persons convicted under the written laws of Sri Lanka of offences involving moral turpitude, fraud, dishonesty, corruption or violence.

The draft law also contains provisions relating to individuals previously removed from office on disciplinary grounds, misconduct or breach of duty.

Meanwhile, any person who has functioned as a paid employee in electronic or print media, during the three-year period immediately preceding the submission of nominations, will be disqualified from serving on the Board.

The Gazette further states that neither a Board member nor any member of his or her immediate family may have any interest in betting, gaming or wagering activities or organizations.

It also provides that persons simultaneously holding office of any member club or association of Sri Lanka Cricket, or of any other National Sports Association established under the Sports Law, are disqualified from serving on the Board.

The proposed legislation also provides for the appointment of a range of committees representing different sectors and functions of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Gazette also contains provisions relating to the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer and staff of Sri Lanka Cricket.

In addition, the draft law states that individuals who have been subjected to penalties, bans, suspensions, prohibitions or disqualifications imposed by the ICC, ACC, the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency, Sri Lanka Cricket or any affiliated cricket body for offences relating to prohibited substances, corruption, betting, match-fixing, spot-fixing or misuse of insider information will be ineligible to serve in the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket.