Minister appoints ad-hoc committee to run BCCSL (23 April 1999)

Sports Minister S

23-Apr-1999

23 April 1999

Minister appoints ad-hoc committee to run BCCSL

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake appointed an eight-member ad-hoc committee on Wednesday to run the affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) until such time the restraining order on The Management is resolved in court.

Colombo District Judge A. M. A. Salam extended the restraining order on Tuesday, on the newly elected board of president Thilanga Sumathipala following a petition by defeated candidate Clifford Ratwatte.

The Sports Minister in a press statement on Wednesday stated:

"I am temporarily suspending Section 24 of the BCCSL constitution;

Immediately summon all Ex-Co members who are not covered by the restraining order;

Consider the quorum mentioned in Section 16(b) of the BCCSL constitution as four and not eight;

Empower two such members to sign cheques;

Temporarily vesting in the chief executive officer the responsibility of entering into contracts and agreements and conducting administrative functions.

I wish to state here that the powers are vested only to maintain agreed services in an uninterrupted manner and to seek and spend funds needed for it.

I also wish to inform that if there is any financial problems steps will be taken to provide the required funds from the Ministry".

At a press conference held at the Cricket Board headquarters on Wednesday evening, BCCSL chief executive Dammika Ranatunga said the following members will function in the ad-hoc executive committee: Duleep Mendis (chairman), Anura Weerasinghe (secretary), Jayananda Warnaweera, Shammi Silva, Gihan Siribaddana, Upali Kumarasiri, B.S. Perera, Kamal Dharmasiri.

He also stated the following would act as chairman of the various committees: Tournament - Jayananda Warnaweera, Umpires - Shammi Silva, Coaching - B.S. Perera, House Board - Kamal Dharmasiri.

Anura Weerasinghe and Gihan Siribaddana will be the chief signatories along with Kamal Dharmasiri.

Ranatunga said this move by the Sports Minister would enable the Cricket Board to carry out its day to day activities and prepare the ground for the national team's departure to England tomorrow to defend the World Cup which commences on May 14.

Ranatunga also said that the Premier cricket league matches which were indefinitely postponed last week because of the Cricket Board's management crisis, would resume shortly now that the heads of the various committees have been appointed.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)