T20 World Cup campaign : Appellate Court orders status quo until next hearing in SLC matter

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An appellate court is a higher court that reviews decisions made by lower courts. In a recent matter involving Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), an appellate court has ordered that the current state of affairs be maintained until the next hearing. This is known as a “status quo” order.
It means that any actions or decisions that were being disputed in the case will not be implemented until the court has had a chance to hear the arguments and make a ruling. It is a temporary measure to maintain the existing state of affairs until the matter can be fully heard and a final decision is made.

Based on its conclusions regarding the misconduct during the 2022 T20 World Cup, the six-member committee, which the Sports Minister formed, had recommended the suspension or revocation of SLC membership.

After hearing SLC President Shammi Silva and Secretary Mohan de Silva’s writ petition arguing for the quashing of the report of the six-member committee headed by ret. Supreme Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena, the Court of Appeals ordered to maintain the status quo on Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) membership until February 1. Additionally, the petitioners requested that any decision to revoke the SLC’s registration based on the committee’s conclusions be put on hold.

The six-member committee, which the sports minister created to look into the alleged wrongdoings in Sri Lanka’s 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, has suggested that SLC’s membership be suspended or revoked. Former Ministry Secretary Kingsley Fernando, retired DIG Sudath Naghamulla, retired Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris, former cricketer Nalin de Alwis, and attorney Shalini Roshana Fernando were all members of the committee, which was presided over by Judge Weerawardena.

The Sunday Times said that the six-member committee’s report stated that “Despite being told by the Sports Ministry to keep expenditures to a minimum, SLC spent more than 65 million to send 16 administrators to witness the T20 World Cup. Although the Ministry had earlier given its approval, their journey is now being questioned.”

The committee also recommended the Minister to confiscate board papers in order to prevent evidence from being lost and to undertake a “independent audit into the alleged expenditure.”

The committee advised the Minister of Sports to exercise his authority under the country’s sports legislation and sever SLC’s ties to the ministry; nevertheless, the Minister has sought the Attorney General’s opinion on the topic.

Dialog Axiata ends association with Sri Lanka Cricket

Another development is that Dialog Axiata, the national sponsor of the Sri Lankan squad, has prematurely discontinued their association with the board, claiming financial difficulties. One of the nation’s top mobile service providers, Dialog Axiata partnered with SLC in 2013 and has maintained its position ever since.

The current sponsorship cycle, which began in December 2020 and will finish in September 2023, was contracted for a three-year duration. Dialog has stated that they are unable to fulfil their pledge any more in light of the nation’s extraordinary national economic crisis, and will stop sponsoring the event as of December 2022 with effect from March 2023.

“We appreciate their decision and recognise that the company is going through a difficult time right now as a result of the present political climate in the nation. We appreciate their dedication throughout the years; they have been with us for almost ten years, according to an SLC official reported by the Sunday Times.

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