Just days after a humiliating 300-run defeat against hosts India at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Sri Lankan Sports Minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, has sacked the national cricket board, installing an interim committee for the time being. Ranasinghe has previously clashed with the board over allegations of corruption and even demanded their resignations publicly in the aftermath of their defeat against India. (Preview | Streaming | Key Battles | Full Coverage)
"Sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe has formed an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket," the statement released by Ranasinghe's office said. Arjuna Ranatunga, who captained his nation to their only ODI-World Cup success in 1996, has been named the chairman of the interim committee.
Sri Lanka play Bangladesh in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in their penultimate league stage clash amid this backdrop of uncertainty. Still with an outside chance of making it to the semi-finals, the Lankan Lions take on a Bangladesh side already eliminated from semi-final contention.
However, the rising Delhi pollution has thrown the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 fixture in question after both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh canceled their training camps. Sri Lanka, though, have confirmed that they are not in discussions with the ICC regarding a change of venue.
"We didn't make a request to change, but we were just asking ICC what happened because when we came here, we saw that the Bangladesh team has cancelled and we saw actually the outside environment. So, we just asked them what's the plan," Sri Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda confirmed.
"So, they said they will actually have a discussion, and then they'll come back. And I think they have installed some equipment here, and they've got specialists to check, and they are helping him out. So, they have already informed us that they are planning to go ahead. So, we will do exactly what the ICC actually tells us to do."
BCCI, meanwhile, has roped in an expert pulmonoligist to help them deal with Delhi's worsening air quality. The match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka starts on 2 PM on November 6, 2023.
