Cricket Crisis: SLC Defends Secret Consultancy Contract Offered to Deshabandu: Says It Was to "Conduct Tournaments During Pandemic"

November 15, 2023

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) finds itself embroiled in controversy after revelations that it extended a consultancy job offer to Senior Deputy Inspector General (S/DIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon. The cricket governing body defended the move, citing an "urgent security requirement to conduct tournaments during Covid-19." However, the nature of the consultancy role and its confidentiality have raised eyebrows, prompting Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe to call for a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiry.

The offer, extended on August 7, included a monthly compensation of LKR 150,000, along with additional perks such as 200 liters of petrol, LKR 5,000 for phone expenses, and the provision of a laptop. The clandestine nature of the arrangement has come under scrutiny, with questions arising about the appropriateness of a law enforcement official entering into a contractual agreement with a sports organization.

S/DIG Tennakoon acknowledged the offer but disclosed that then Ministry Secretary Jagath Alwis advised him to decline the proposal. While the Senior DIG asserted his willingness to support SLC without a formal contract, as he had done in the past, the controversy surrounding the secretive nature of the consultancy arrangement has cast a shadow over the cricketing body.

The revelation has prompted Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe to call for a CID inquiry into the matter, raising concerns about the transparency and ethics of such arrangements. The minister's move underscores the need for scrutiny and accountability in the interactions between law enforcement officials and sports organizations.