President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has formally requested the resignation of Shammi Silva, the head of Sri Lanka’s powerful cricket governing body, following persistent allegations of systemic corruption and mismanagement, according to local news reports Wednesday.
The Daily Mirror first broke the story, stating that Dissanayake, who assumed office in 2024, urged Silva to voluntarily vacate his position. Silva reportedly requested a week to consider the decision. In response to inquiries, Silva neither confirmed nor denied the report and did not respond to additional requests for comment. Officials from the sports ministry, including Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, as well as the International Cricket Council, also declined to comment.
Silva has been a polarizing figure in cricket-obsessed Sri Lanka during his seven-year tenure. His leadership has been shadowed by ongoing accusations of poor governance and widespread corruption. In 2023, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe established a cabinet subcommittee led by the then-foreign minister, which uncovered significant governance failures, structural corruption risks, conflicts of interest, and irregularities in electoral and voting processes at the board. The committee also criticized the club-based voting system, which critics say allows a small group to maintain control, and called for legal reforms and stronger oversight.
The subcommittee reviewed proposals from a reform panel headed by retired Supreme Court Justice K.T. Chitrasiri, which advocated for extensive changes to the board’s governance framework. This panel was formed after a 2023 governance crisis led the ICC to temporarily suspend Sri Lanka Cricket over fears of political interference.
Prominent cricket figures, including former national captain Mahela Jayawardene and ex-test captain Sidath Wettimuny, have publicly voiced concerns about the administration of cricket in the country. An online petition demanding Silva’s removal, using the hashtag GoHomeShammi, has amassed over 16,000 signatures in recent weeks.