Rienzie Wijetilleke – 11 months that changed course of cricket administration

SRI Lanka Cricket (SLC) administration was in chaos when President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga appointed Rienzie Wijetilleke who passed away yesterday at the age of 85, as chairman of the first interim committee to administer Sri Lanka Cricket in June 1999.

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The country had been embarrassed by the violence that took place during the March 1999 SLC elections where gun-toting intruders had prevented officials from casting their vote. The incident so embarrassed the country that President Kumaratunga had no alternative but to immediately dissolve the cricket board and appoint an interim committee.

The inaugural interim committee headed by Wijetilleke comprised S. Skandakumar (Vice Chairman and Secretary), Michael Tissera, Sidath Wettimuny and Ashantha de Mel. Kushil Gunasekara was co-opted later as Secretary.

The Wijetilleke committee brought in accountability as its highest priority, a new vision and new future.

The 11 fabulous months the interim committee ran saw: