The Government has denied that the ICC issued an ultimatum for Sri Lanka Cricket elections

The Government has denied that it was given an ultimatum to hold Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) elections by the end of July or face a suspension from international cricket.

The state's official denial comes after a newspaper published an article alleging an ultimatum was issued by the ICC – the world governing body of the sport – when its Chairman, Jay Shah, visited Sri Lanka last week.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) stated that this was a fabricated narrative and that no such deadline was given.

Context

Sri Lanka’s cricket administration is currently in a transitional phase after the previous elected administration, led by Shammi Silva, resigned following government intervention.

A nine-member ‘Transformation Committee,’ led by Eran Wickramaratne, was subsequently appointed to oversee cricket administration and introduce structural reforms at SLC, which has long been riddled with allegations of corruption and politicking.

However, the appointment of an interim body runs counter to the policies of the ICC, the world governing body for the sport, which maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against the politicization of cricket in member countries.

Among the sanctions the ICC places on member nations with politicized administrations is the suspension of membership and the withholding of international funding.

The ICC has not issued a formal directive approving the Transformation Committee, with the only public acknowledgement coming directly from Chairman Jay Shah, who noted on social media that he had met with President Dissanayake to discuss grassroots development.