Thursday May 14, 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026
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Sidath Wettimuny
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Former Sri Lanka cricketer and a member of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Transformation Committee Sidath Wettimuny is confident that something tangible and constructive will be done by the nine-member committee appointed by the Government to run the administrative affairs of cricket in the country and to make changes to its constitution.
“We have got the backing from everybody who needs to back us. To do anything, we need the backing of the Government and the President (Anura Kumara Dissanayake), and I believe we have that,” Wettimuny told the Daily FT.
“The signs are very positive. I am hopeful that we will be allowed to do what we want to do and what we have to do. That’s the key. I do want to see constitutional changes without which nothing will go forward. The main purpose of the Transformation Committee is to change the constitution.”
“If you want our cricket to progress and go to another level, constitutional changes are vital. That’s how I see it. We need a change and we need to make a structural change. It is the belief of a lot of people. Otherwise, it will be back to square one again, which I have experienced with previous interim committees.”
Wettimuny has been part and parcel of virtually each and every interim committee appointed by the State since the first in 1999, and he has also chaired one of them in 2015. Nearly every interim committee that has been appointed had been on the point of making changes to the SLC constitution and bringing in new reforms, but, for some unknown reasons, it has never happened.
“When I was chairing the interim committee in 2015, things were about to happen, but don’t ask me what went wrong. At the last minute, it was scuttled by somebody I don’t know,” said Wettimuny.
“I believe we have a better chance now of making the required changes to the constitution. Only time will tell. Changing the constitution is the prime concern of this committee. Without that, it’s a waste of time. In the meantime, if we have to make some positive changes with cricket, we will, and also put a few things in a better place.”
“We are looking at the areas we need to improve. We have sat just once and we’ve got an idea from the departments to figure out what’s happening. Wherever we think we need to improve, we will. Some areas we have identified. We have already got a few things going but give us a little time. These things you can’t do in a week; you must study and make the changes.”
“Our first priority is to make sure the mindset of our players are right and prepare them to go on tours. We will take a little time to get the ball rolling but, rest assured, we will.”
The present Transformation Committee headed by former MP Eran Wickramaratne was appointed barely two weeks ago to replace the elected committee of SLC that submitted its resignation en bloc on 29 April.
Wettimuny said that they will use the Chitrasiri Committee report as a base and make whatever changes that are required.
The Chitrasiri Committee, headed by retired Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chitrasiri, was tasked in 2023 with drafting a new constitution for SLC to reform its governance, improve accountability, and professionalise administration following ongoing crises in SLC governance.
Wettimuny said a committee, which also includes members of the Transformation Committee, has been appointed to look into that aspect and that it will move very fast.
Sri Lanka’s cricket has been going downhill for several years, with only a flash of a win here and a win there, but never consistent enough to make them a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.
As a former national cricketer, Wettimuny said it is the dream of everyone to see the country doing well in cricket and be on top of the game.
“I really didn’t want to come into the present committee, but at the last minute, someone backed out and I was co-opted. Due to certain circumstances, I couldn’t let them down,” he said.
