- First election under the amended constitution
Cricketing analysts have predicted that the incumbent Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva is expected to return to office for a third consecutive two-year stint, as the 2025-27 election of office bearers to SLC, is set to go ahead at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo this morning (31). At the election he will only face a friendly fire from members of his own camp, analysts review.
Today’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be supervised by a five-member Election committee, formed by the Sports Ministry and helmed by retired President cum Justice of the Court of Appeal Malanie Guneratne.
A notable feature in the AGM will be it being held in adherence to the recently amended constitution of the SLC.
During the previous AGM for the SLC held in 2023, Silva-also the current head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), having taken over from India’s Jay Shah last December, was unanimously selected to the post of President without an election.
Silva, a businessman by profession famously clashed with former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe only two years ago.
The minister’s appointment of a caretaker committee, due to a purported personal clash with Silva, led to Sri Lanka’s suspension by the ICC.
As an immediate fall out of it, the ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup slated to be held in the island-nation, was moved out to South Africa last year, by the game’s global ruling body.
The Government of Ranil Wickremasinghe subsequently fired Ranasinghe and the Court of Appeal reinstated the administration of Silva.
Since Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup triumph, the cash-rich body’s posts have invariably become a matter of prestige for its businessmen, with there being much acrimony at annual AGMs among rival camps.
Following years of strong discontent and heated debate in cricketing circles, over the excessively large number of clubs, some defunct, with voting rights at elections, the sport’s local controlling body opted to amend its constitution last January.
In the aftermath of this amendment, the number of eligible clubs affiliated to the SLC and with voting rights, were drastically trimmed from a sizable 147 to 60.
Therefore, today’s election of office bearers, will be the first to be held, after the introduction of this amendment to SLCs much-maligned constitution.
According to the SLC, the new voting structure is set to ensure that voting rights are determined solely based on the cricket played by each member club, with all qualified clubs and associations, being entitled to only one vote.
The SLC is adamant that its recent constitutional amendments, will foster a culture of professionalism, transparency, and meritocracy, eventually paving the way for the growth of the sport here.
Meanwhile, incumbent head of the SLC Tournament Committee Samantha Dodanwela will vie for four posts at this AGM.
Dodanwela, an ex-Co member and a former Trinity and first-class cricketer for SSC, is set to contest the posts of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Deputy Secretary.
Dodanwela, whose brainchild is the Lanka Premier League (LPL) domestic T20 tournament, also functioned as the Director of the inaugural Lanka T10 Super League in December 2024.
Besides Silva and Dodanwela, the third candidate for the Presidency will be businessman turned administrator Jayantha Darmadasa.
Ex-first-class cricketer from Panadura SC Ravin Wickramaratne, along with Dharmadasa and Dodanwela, are contesting the post of Vice President.
Incumbent Acting Secretary Chryshantha Kapuwatte along with Dodanwela and Bandula Dissanayake will vie for the post of Secretary.
Sujeewa Godaliyadde and Lasantha Wickramasinghe are set to contest the Treasurer post.
Current Acting Secretary of SLC Kapuwatte whose name has been proposed by the faction-led by Silva, is expected to be returned to office as the Secretary this time around.
Kapuwatte has been serving in the post in an acting capacity, since the resignation of previous Secretary Mohan de Silva, during the tenure of ex-Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe.
The period for accepting objections pertaining to nominations submitted to contest the AGM, lapsed on 25 February.
The list of candidates as follows:
President – Shammi Silva, Jayantha Dharmadasa, Samantha Dodanwela
Vice president – Ravin Wickramaratne, Jayantha Dharmadasa, Samantha Dodanwela
Secretary – Chryshantha Kapuwatte, Samantha Dodanwela, Bandula Dissanayake
Deputy secretary – Chryshantha Kapuwatte, Samantha Dodanwela, Bandula Dissanayake, Nalin Aponso
Treasurer – Sujeewa Godaliyadde, Lasantha Wickramasinghe
Deputy treasurer – Sujeewa Godaliyadde, Lasantha Wickramasinghe