SLC had pleaded with the “top echelon” of the Sri Lankan government to provide assurances that there would be no further political interference in the administration of cricket in the country. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has offered no such guarantee so far, but his dismissal of Ranasinghe could be an indication that he wants the government as a whole to back down. In any case, it was Ranasinghe who most vigorously sought the dismissal of the SLC officials.

However, Ranasinghe has not only been sacked as Sports Minister but has also been sacked as Youth Affairs Minister and Irrigation Minister, the other portfolios he held. This came after he on Monday morning leveled accusations against the president in parliament. There is a possibility that his dismissal was not particularly motivated by the ICC’s suspension of SLC, which took place two weeks earlier.

In any case, the news of Ranasinghe’s ouster will be welcomed by SLC officials, who have been at odds with the minister for about 12 months. At press conferences SLC held over the past two weeks, board president Shammi Silva hurled personal insults at Ranasinghe, as Ranasinghe had done against him elsewhere.