Colombo, March 5 Sri Lanka's poor performance in the T20 World Cup may lead to a restructuring of the country's cricket board, with Sports Minister Sunil Kumar Gamage saying on Thursday that an interim committee to "revive" the sport is being considered.
Sri Lanka were eliminated from the tournament after losing all their Super Eight matches.
"Discussions are underway with the ICC (International Cricket Council) to hand over the administration of SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) to an interim committee to rebuild the sport," Gamage told reporters.
The current SLC chairman, Shammi Silva, has a term until May 2027.
Prior to their Super Eight defeat, Sri Lanka had lost to Zimbabwe in the preliminary round. The SLC headquarters saw a public protest last week demanding the resignation of the Silva administration.
The Minister said that President Anura Kumar Dissanayake is also involved in the ongoing talks with the ICC.
"We can't risk another ban from the ICC, so we must work in conjunction with the ICC," Gamage said, referring to the past sanctions that the country has faced.
In 2024, the ICC suspended Sri Lanka's membership when then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe sacked Silva based on corruption allegations.
The ICC had also moved the 2025 Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa, citing government interference in the functioning of the sport.
Sri Lanka's sports law of 1973 allows the Sports Minister to discipline sports bodies.
Gamage said the government is keen to restore the sport to its pre-2014 levels, when Sri Lanka was a top international performer.
The island nation was the 2014 T20 World Cup champion, along with being a runner-up in two previous editions.
Gamage also appealed to the public to refrain from criticizing the players for their poor performance.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, after the ouster from the World Cup, had complained about the criticism that the players were facing and urged the government to curb the "negative" sentiment.
