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Angelo Mathews
In the world of cricket, every defeat is a tough pill to swallow, especially in a prestigious tournament like the Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka's recent 302-run loss to India has not only been a bitter pill but a bitter blow to their cricketing reputation.
The aftermaths of such defeats from World Cups bring removal and expulsions of captains and players but in the case of crushing defeats such as 302 runs, it may lead to the removal of board officials as well which happened in the case of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Cricket is in a state of turmoil and the loss against India in the World Cup and the Asia Cup finals where they were bundled out for just 55 and 55 runs respectively have left Sri Lankan cricket fans dismayed. The Sri Lankan cricket team found themselves in a precarious position, both on the field and off it. The loss was not only a matter of poor performance but also a question of the team's overall management.
Sri Lankan Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe took a drastic step in the wake of the loss. He suspended the entire Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, sending a strong message that accountability and responsibility matter in sports administration.
To ensure that Sri Lanka Cricket gets back on track, Ranasinghe appointed an Interim Committee chaired by Arjuna Ranatunga, the World Cup-winning captain from 1996. The newly constituted interim board comprises seven members, including a retired Supreme Court judge and a former board president.
Defeat against India became the boiling point
The match against India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium was a turning point. Sri Lanka's dismal performance, particularly their batting collapse twice against India in 2 months, raised questions about their preparedness and mental strength. In this year only Sri Lanka has lost to India by more than 300 runs twice in ODIs which prompted this step by the government.
Sri Lanka's hopes of making it to the semi-finals were further shattered when they lost to Bangladesh by three wickets. The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi witnessed another disappointing performance from the Sri Lankan team.